MITCHELL — Arin McIntosh, bundled in a winter coat, stood in front of a small portable heater Monday afternoon as she rang the bell for the Salvation Army outside the Ben Franklin store.

Volunteering to ring the bell at Christmas time isn’t new to the 19-year-old Mitchell High School graduate. She and her father, Robert, have been doing it for the past 15 years.

This year, however, it took on a slightly new meaning for the college student and sprint car driver who is on the road to recovery, following an Oct. 13 crash in her race car at Lawrenceburg Speedway.

McIntosh, grateful for all the prayers, cards and people who have been pulling for her, said ringing the bell is just a small way to give back.

McIntosh’s mother and father, Robert and Alda, agreed that all the support during their daughter’s recovery has been amazing.

The family created a place on the Internet, www.carepages.com, where friends and family can log in to follow her progress and post well-wishes. According to the site, there have been 1,569 visitors who have posted 1,648 messages.

“That’s the great thing about living in a small town,” Robert said. “And the racing community is really just like a small town. Regardless of what happens at the track, when somebody is in need, the racing community is there.”

A community that has closely followed the young racer’s progress, which is to the point that she will be returning to IUPUI, where she is majoring in motorsports engineering, in January.

“And I never thought I would be excited to go back to school,” Arin said, while taking a break from her bell-ringing duty.

McIntosh suffered a head injury when her sprint car blew a tire and slammed into the wall.

Her latest prognosis from doctors, after a battery of neuro/psych and physical testing, is that she can get her education back on track, with no need for further therapy. She will continue to receive follow-up care, and she is hopeful to soon be taken off the anti-seizure medication.

“We have been blessed,” Robert said.

McIntosh, who spent nearly a month in a hospital and rehabilitation center, has been home now just more than a month.

Enjoying the time at home with her cats and parents, she’s ready to take another step toward normalcy.

Given the OK to drive a vehicle and return to school next semester, one questions remains: Is she going to strap back into the cockpit of a sprint car?

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” she said.