VIDEO: Hinsdale Teen Joins 'Token Asian' Team To Race Against Homelessness

Most people don't picture go-karts when they think about helping to reduce poverty. That's not the case for the 125 kart racers who came together to take part in the Drive For 25, a six-hour endurance race, which took place on Sunday to raise money for DuPage County PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter.)

Hinsdale Central sophomore Frank Siracusa was one of six junior drivers who took part in the race. He said that he was happy to help.

"I'm a very fortunate person. I live in a nice community, and I am able to do things," said Siracusa. "There's people who don't even have a house, so it's hard for me to even imagine, and I'd like to help them out as much as possible."

Frank and his father, Frank Siracusa Sr., raised more than $1,200 in sponsorships for the event. The younger Siracusa said he advertised on his Facebook pages to get the word out. The Siracusas paid all the costs associated with the race, so all donations went to PADS.

"To be able to do something he loves and to raise some money to help some people out, it’s really great.”" said the elder Siracusa. "The earlier kids can start [helping others], the better it is, and they should be able to appreciate how lucky they are and, hopefully, be able to pass that on and help some other people as well."

The younger Siracusa joined a team of adults calling themselves the "Token Asian" team, a name picked by Team Leader Nobu Kamino. Siracusa said he wasn't sure why the name was picked, but thought it was because Kamino thought he would be the only Asian person on the team.

Siracusa was put in touch with the team by Brian Dopp, the enthusiast program director for Chicago Indoor Racing. Dopp said that he knew the event would be a success, because racers have a tendency to be competitive and would compete to see who could raise the most money for the event.

"They're the greatest people in the world—very passionate people, and they understand a cause," said Dopp. "[PADS] is a local charity. A lot of people may not be aware of what they do, and this was an opportunity for us to expose a lot of people to something they might not have been aware of."

More than 200 people were at the track on Sunday. The goal was to raise $25,000 from the race, but the 18 teams who took part in the event exceeded that amount, raising more than $50,000 for the organization.

"It's a tremendous, tremendous gift to us," said Carol Simler, executive director for DuPage County PADS. "When people have lost their home, they've also lost hope in their lives. And we're able to give that back, and give them hope and possibilities through these opportunities."