JetKart
has a purpose beyond pure horsepower By Cheryl Sherry
Post-Crescent staff writer
Todd Hanson may be the first to admit he’s just
one big kid. So it was no surprise he ended up on eBay
one day about five years ago looking at go-karts, an interest
he had shared in childhood with his brother. One particular
jet-powered go-kart really got his motor going yet common
sense told Hanson there was no reason to buy it.
Or was there?
“I
had been pretty passionate about youth ministries for
a long time and thought, wouldn’t this be a great
way to supplement existing youth ministries and existing
Christian events by adding another featured item that
would most likely attract a different chunk of the teen
population not being reached by traditional youth outreach,”
he said. “I prayed about this a lot and felt that
this affinity for kids and potential for youth ministry
was real. So I decided to give this a shot.”
JetKart, Hanson’s extremely fast go-kart —
powered by a turbine engine from an A-7 Corsair jet fighter,
which produces a 110 decibel roar and can travel at speed
in excess of 120 mph — will be unveiled at FamilyFest
2005, a fun-filled family event sponsored by YouthFutures
Valley Fair from noon to 6 p.m. today.
The event is the perfect vehicle to attract a pit crew
in time for a summer event schedule, and for Power Up,
an emerging youth outreach ministry, the horse that comes
after Hanson’s go-kart.
“(JetKart) will allow us to build relationships
with adult leaders and Christian kids and to share an
encouraging message about the power available to them
as a result of this personal relationship with a man named
Jesus Christ,” he said. “The fire in my belly
is to pass the baton to the next generation so we don’t
have to keep starting over in our walk, we give these
kids a jump start to make sure the journey continues from
generation to generation.”
Hanson
also is in need of helpers who know their way around gas
turbine engines, willing sponsors and adults willing to
help develop a business plan. “A ministry takes
time, effort, money and talent and that all has to come
together in a logical, cohesive and intelligent way in
order for it to be sustainable,” he said.
“I envision on the horizon attracting a teen group
not reached by traditional ministries then communicating
an encouraging Christ-centered message,” Hanson
said.
The philosophy behind JetKart is the same philosophy that
has drive Dave Lehman, the founder and executive director
of YouthFutures, which is hosting Saturday’s FamilyFest.
“We love our kids and know there is a huge need
for this high school college-age group and for a safe
place with coordinated activities,” Lehman said.
“And we are a purpose-driven mall and want parents
and the community to see that.”
