PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Mardi Gras beads are now available.

The Arc Gateway partners with the Pensacola Parade People to sell Arc Gateway beads exclusively.

They come in a crawfish sack of 18 to 20 dozen, in an assortment of sizes.

The money benefits the Arc Gateway, which helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

It goes to several programs and work experiences for them.

"It gives them a reason to get up," Dana Wolf, Arc Gateway director said. "We all want to get up and do something with our day so they get up, they come have work with meaningful experiences. They do keep some of the specialty beads that don't end up in the bags so they end up with a lot of cute little prizes so forth as if they were going to a Mardi Gras parade and it gives them something to do with their time that is meaningful."

You can get beads from the Pensacola Parade People to help the Arc Gateway, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

They're on West Government Street.