Kids in foster care in Jackson, Jennings and Scott counties now will have the necessities they need.

Racin’ Mason Pizza & Fun Zone’s inaugural Karts for Kids fundraiser that was conducted in September 2023 resulted in donations of more than 100 backpacks, suitcases and duffel bags along with hygiene products.

Those recently were given to Department of Child Services representatives in each county. As foster kids are placed at a home, they will receive a backpack, suitcase or duffel bag with hygiene products from a police officer to be able to carry their belongings.

“The reason we did it, we had fostered children ourselves, and they’d come to our house with garbage bags, so we wanted to give something back,” said Harold Mason, who owns Racin’ Mason with his wife, Kelly Mason.

“We’ve been blessed, for sure, so giving kids these to walk out and at least have something to throw what little bit of stuff they’ve got in it and they have the hygiene products … it’s pretty degrading to those kids when they come to your house and they don’t have anything,” he said.

Emily Maus with the Jackson County DCS office said many of the bags they receive are a lot smaller, so she appreciates the donation from the fundraiser.

“I think the intention was for them to be able to put all of their belongings in them. We don’t have a place that provides that, for sure,” she said.

An agency called Beloved provides presents and cake kits for birthdays, random donations come in around Christmastime and school supplies and infant bags are donated, but Maus said not much else is given to DCS for the foster kids.

“A lot of times, we need (bags) for assessments and not just when we remove, so we use them a lot,” she said.

The inaugural Karts for Kids go-kart tournament was Sept. 30 at Racin’ Mason, 369 Tanger Blvd., Seymour. The sponsors for the teams were Miller’s Pest Control, On the Rox, Reed’s Place Steak & Chop Shop, MK Roofing, Racin’ Mason, 5-C Auto Jesus Saves Ministry and Kameron’s Ministry.

Harold is a board member of the latter two organizations in Scott County, Miller’s Pest Control is in North Vernon and the other businesses are in Seymour, so that’s why the donations were split between the three counties.

Starting at noon, teams of eight raced each other. The top four were set aside. Then the next team of eight raced. Again, the top four were set aside.

Once all teams raced, they started back at the top, and those top four on each team challenged another foursome. The top two moved on.

Participants and spectators were encouraged to bring suitcases, hygiene products, underwear and school supplies, and donations were accepted during regular business hours on other days, too.

“Every driver that came that won, that moved up paid $30 more, so we bought another couple of suitcases with that money,” Harold said.

For the second Karts for Kids, the Masons hope to have more participants and sponsors.

“We’ll start it in the spring,” Harold said. “We have this place up for sale, but we’re going to be attached to it for a while, even with the new owners. Everybody we’ve talked to, if anybody does buy it, we’re going to run it with them for a while until they know how everything runs and operates. If they don’t bring enough, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing.”