Volunteers help clean up IMS after sellout Indianapolis 500

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — After a sellout crowd of 350,000 people cheered Alex Palou to victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, the infield and grandstands were left littered with anything one could think of, including cans, half-eaten food and coolers.

Throughout the infield, there was an endless sight of alcoholic beverage cans, broken chairs and tables, half-eaten hot dogs and burgers, couches and even a tv. The grandstands were just as dirty, as paper plates, beer cans and food crumbs were left in every row from turn 4 all the way to turn 1.

Hundreds of volunteers woke up early the day after the race to clean up IMS, including nonprofits, churches, and local high school teams. The Triton Central cheerleading team had the duty of cleaning the front stretch, which their coach said is a great way of giving back to their community.

“I stressed to my cheerleaders that it’s really important to serve our community,” Triton Central cheer coach Jill Coen said. “We are grateful to be doing this, and thankful to IMS for giving us a donation for doing this.”

The Memorial Day cleanup, which happens every year after the Indianapolis 500, is a great fundraising opportunity for the Triton Central cheerleading group. While picking up trash for 10-12 hours, cheerleaders will be raising money to support their team.

“They designated us the front stretch of the grandstand,” Coen said. “We will work as quick as possible to get everything cleaned up so we can enjoy Memorial Day.”