Rodney Smith, Jr. completes 50 States, 50 Lawns Tour

Pictured above: Rodney Smith, Jr., started the 50 States, 50 Lawns Tour in Milwaukee, mowing lawns of people in need alongside Briggs & Stratton employees. Photo courtesy of Briggs & Stratton

MILWAUKEE – Raising Men Lawn Care Service (RMLCS) Founder Rodney Smith, Jr., completed his second 50 States, 50 Lawns Tour this week. Since May 17, Smith drove to 48 mainland states and flew to Alaska and Hawaii to mow lawns for the elderly, disabled, single mothers and veterans free.

According to Briggs & Stratton, a partner of RMLCS for the tour, Smith mowed nearly 130 lawns during the tour. Briggs & Stratton provided Smith with a financial contribution to cover expenses as well as the outdoor power equipment needed for his trip.

"It's been an incredible two months,” Smith said. “I've met so many deserving people and heard so many stories that reaffirm why I've been called toward this path in life. I'd like to thank Briggs & Stratton for believing in me from the beginning and supporting my efforts.”

Smith went on the tour to raise awareness for RMLCS and its mission to keep youth on a positive path through community service, providing free lawn maintenance to those in need. To date, Smith has inspired 210 kids to accept his 50 Yard Challenge by committing to mow 50 lawns within their communities for free.

"Briggs & Stratton has been a proud supporter of Rodney's efforts since 2016, as he and RMLCS are the essence of what the company's brand – You.Powered. – stands for,” said Rick Carpenter, vice president of corporate marketing at Briggs & Stratton. "Briggs & Stratton's mission is to make work easier and improve lives. We do that through the products we create; Rodney does that through the work he and RMLCS do in their communities to help those in need."

Smith started his tour in Milwaukee, and to show support of his efforts, Briggs & Stratton employees accepted Smith’s challenge and mowed 110 lawns in one afternoon alongside him. To have a deeper impact, Briggs & Stratton also awarded a season of free lawn maintenance to a Milwaukee family in need. Each week, teams of employees leave the Briggs & Stratton office to mow, blow and trim a single mother’s and her disabled sister’s lawn, as they can’t easily complete the work themselves.

Lawn & Landscape magazine spoke to Smith earlier this summer to learn more about the 50 States, 50 Lawns Tour. We will feature Smith’s story in our upcoming August issue – pick up a copy next month to learn more about the RMLCS program and how the landscaping industry can get involved.

Click here to learn more about Smith’s RMLCS program.