Teams of military members, Colorado first responders, and family members who have lost loved ones due to impaired driving faced off on Sunday in the annual Kart Racing for Heroes event.
Kart Racing for Heroes is a Colorado-based nonprofit that helps raise awareness and highlights the prevention of impaired driving. It also thankd the military, police, firefighters, and first responders who serve our communities. The event introduces go-kart racing as a way to reduce stress without the use of alcohol or drugs.
It was organized by Craig Mansfield, whose 23-year-old son, Senior Airman Kristopher Mansfield, was killed in a crash involving a drunk driver in 2004.
“My son was killed by an impaired driver 21 years ago. He was stationed at Buckley. Because of that, I got a lot more help than most people get during the time of an impaired crash. So I wanted to do [something for] the Air Force. My son and I had raced karts together,” Mansfield shared. “Then, through MADD, I went out and did checkpoints and saw the stress of the police officers, the firemen, the EPS, even tow truck drivers having to pick up body parts because of stupidity and carnage in impaired driving. So we came up with the Kart Racing for Heroes events to say ‘Thank you’ to these men and women who have these jobs and do them so well. To be able to say thank you.”
During the event, teams of five men and five women each compete in a relay race with driver changes, aiming to complete the most laps in one hour. This year included teams from the military, the Denver, Lakewood and Northglenn Police Departments, Colorado State Patrol, South Metro and Summit County Fire and EMS, and family teams who have lost loved ones to impaired driving. Drivers also competed against a team operating a hand-controlled kart…