SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 is officially over, and now it’s time for a massive cleanup. Hundreds of volunteers will be at the Racing Capital of the World this Memorial Day making it happen.
Multiple organizations are helping out, including high school groups, churches and different nonprofits from across central Indiana.
“Our communities run through volunteering,” said Jeff Bates, one of the volunteers with Frankton High School FCA. “Volunteering is a great thing, and the more we volunteer, the more we help people. I think it’s not just helping them, but it’s also satisfying and you get a sense of gratitude out of that too.”
Last year, the track had 700 volunteers helping out, and all of the waste was gone within 66 hours from the start of the race. It will take some time to get everything cleaned up this year because fans spent more time at the track on Sunday than they have for past Indy 500s because of a four-hour rain delay.
As the cleanup continues, race fans are already counting down the days until the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. IMS officials sent out ticket renewal notices to fans late Monday morning.