Students Turn Race Trash into Cash

When fans leave the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the annual Indianapolis 500, they also leave behind a lot of trash—thousands of cans, food wrappers, and even coolers. Nonprofit groups clear trash from the speedway after the race every year and take recyclables, such as aluminum cans, to scrap metal centers for cash, reports WRTV Indianapolis.

Athletes from Southwood High School in Wabash, Indiana, volunteer for the cleanup every year, using the proceeds they earn at scrap metal centers to fund their programs. The athletic director said the school has been doing this for about 12 years and it’s a big moneymaker for the athletic department.

“It’s a major fundraiser for us,” said Tom Finicle, the school’s athletic director. “It also teaches our kids a lot of great things, like how to work together.”

By the end of the day the students are covered in sweat and left-over beer, but they leave the grandstands with a sense of satisfaction. If they do a good job of picking up trash, they can earn enough money so they don’t have to do any other fundraisers.

“No, it’s not fun, but we’re getting some good work done, getting some money, so that’s all that matters,” said Cole Winer, a senior at Southwood.