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Posted: Jul 29, 2025 7:19 AMUpdated: Jul 29, 2025 3:13 PM
Bartlesville Youth Rewarded for Meeting the 50 Yard Challege for Mowing Lawns
Tom Davis
Rodney Smith Jr., the founder of Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service, came to Bartlesville this week to pay a visit to a young man who had mowed over 50 yards for the elderly and disadvantaged.
According to Smith, Bartlesville's Nicholas "Garrett" Bridges, 14, recently earned his way in to the Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service 50 Yard Club. Smith vowed that once a kid mows 50 yards, he will drive to wherever they are in the United States, he will do lawns with them, and give them a brand new mower, weed eater, and blower for finishing the 50-yard challenge.
Recently, Smith came to Bartlesville to meet with Nicholas (aka Garrett) and rewarded him for accomplishing his 50 Yard Challenge in person. Smith asked Garrett in a Facebook interview, "What was the hardest part?" Garrett said, "It was gruesome at times especially with the big yards. Sometimes I didn't want to wake up, but my parents encouraged me. It was all worth it."
Smith said the idea for Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service started back in 2015. He was leaving school one day, and he came across an elderly man outside mowing his lawn. Smith said, "He was struggling, so I pulled over and helped him out. That night, I decided I'd start mowing free lawns for the elderly, disabled, single parents, and veterans right here in Huntsville, Alabama. At first, my goal was to mow 40 lawns by the end of winter, but I mowed 40 lawns so quick that I upped my goal to 100."
A month and a half later, Smith reached his 100th lawn, and that's when the idea of Raising Man Lawn Care Service came about. Smith said in a Facebook post, "I'll still mow free lawns for the elderly, disabled, single parents, and veterans, but now I'll also include kids ages 7 to 17 and show them the importance of giving back to their community with a lawn mower." He added, "The 50-yard challenge is a challenge that we have issued to kids nationwide and even worldwide to mow 50 free lawns in their community. Once they mow 10 lawns, they get an orange shirt, 20 irons are green, 30 are blue, 40 are red, and 50 lawns are irons are black."
Smith vowed that once they mow 50 yards, he will drive to wherever they are in the United States, I will do lawns with them, and I will also give them a brand new mower, weed eater, and blower for finishing the 50-yard challenge.
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