Rodney Smith Jr

Making a difference one lawn at a time. Full version 2:39.

It’s almost that time of year again, when kids all across this great country step up, commit to something bigger than themselves, and begin making a real difference in their communities through the 50 Yard Challenge. One lawn at a time, they’re learning the value of service, building character, and showing the world what kindness in action truly looks like. Now the question is, will it be a child in your life? Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family members, this is your opportunity to inspire the next young leader. Talk to your child today about joining the 50 Yard Challenge, and encourage them to take that first step toward making an impact. Click the link to learn more—and watch them become the difference their community needs. Link : weareraisingmen.com/the-50-yard-ch…

As I mentioned before , Kids in the 50 Yard Challenge will have the opportunity to earn badges , similar to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts ,as they serve their communities and reach important milestones along their journey. These badges recognize not only the number of lawns completed, but also character, leadership, and acts of kindness. With over 50 unique badges available, each one represents a meaningful accomplishment and encourages kids to stay motivated, engaged, and committed to making a difference. Here are just a few examples: Say No to Bullying Earned by volunteers who stand up against bullying and promote kindness, respect, and inclusion in their communities. First Lawn Earned when a volunteer completes their very first lawn and officially begins their journey of service. Halfway Hero Awarded when a volunteer reaches 25 lawns and hits the halfway milestone of the challenge. Made Local News Awarded to volunteers who are featured on a local TV news station for their outstanding community service. One Summer Earned by volunteers who dedicate an entire summer to serving others through the challenge. Finished the 50 Yard Challenge Awarded after completing all 50 lawns, demonstrating dedication, leadership, and a true commitment to serving others.

Family, Thank you all again for your valuable feedback yesterday regarding the point system. For now, I’ve decided to place that on hold and focus fully on the development of the app. In this post, I’d like to walk you through the app as a whole and share how it will function. The app is primarily designed for parents to submit lawns on behalf of their children who are participating in the 50 Yard Challenge. As we get closer to opening the app for testing, I would truly appreciate your feedback. If there’s anything you would like to see added or improved, please let me know. Below is an overview of the four main sections of the app. ⸻ 1. Account Setup (Parent & Child Profiles) Parents will create a single account and add their children underneath it. If more than one child is participating, both names will appear in the account (e.g., “Hello [Child 1]” and “Hello [Child 2]”). Every lawn submitted will count for all children, as they are completing the 50 Yard Challenge together as a team. ⸻ 2. Dashboard Once inside the app, you’ll land on the dashboard. This page provides a full snapshot of your child’s progress, including: • A “Submit a Lawn” button for easy access • A progress bar showing how far your child has come in the challenge • Total number of lawns completed and hours served • Current T-shirt level earned • A streak tracker that shows consecutive days of service You’ll also see a Community Impact section, which highlights how many individuals your child has served across categories such as elderly, disabled, veterans, first responders, and single parents. Additionally, there is an Announcements section where updates and important information from the administrative team will be shared. ⸻ 3. Submit a Lawn On the “Submit a Lawn” page, parents can log each completed lawn. The form will include: • Lawn number being submitted (e.g., Lawn #2) • who you helped (elderly, disabled, veteran, etc.) • Type of service performed (mowing, raking leaves, snow shoveling, trash pickup, etc.) • Date of service • Time spent • Four required photos for verification After submission, the entry will be reviewed by our team. Once approved, it will be added to your child’s dashboard and count toward their progress in the challenge. ⸻ 4. Profile Page The profile page provides a detailed view of your child’s journey, including: • Total progress and completed lawns • Impact summary across all service categories • T-shirt progression Participants begin with a white T-shirt and advance through the levels (orange, green, blue, red, and black) as they complete lawns. If you have multiple children on your account, you will see shirt progressions that reflect each child. For example, if you have both a boy and a girl, you will see both “Raising Men” and “Raising Women” shirts displayed accordingly. If you have multiple boys or multiple girls, the appropriate shirts will be shown for each child. ⸻ Your Feedback Matters Now I’d love to hear from you—what would you like to see in this app that would help you and your child successfully complete the 50 Yard Challenge? My goal is to make this as simple, effective, and engaging as possible for families. If there’s anything that would make tracking progress easier or improve your experience, I’d love to add it before we officially open the app for testing. Thank you again for your continued support and for being such an important part of this mission. Also depending your state, it will say Team (State name)

Where does your state rank? Since 2016, thousands of kids across the country have stepped up through the 50 Yard Challenge but where does your state land on the Top 50 list for sign-ups? Check out the link to see the full rankings if your state isn’t shown in the Top 10. And if you don’t see your state where you’d like it to be, this is your chance to make a difference, encourage a child in your community to join the movement and help your state climb the leaderboard! Right now, Oklahoma holds the #1 spot, with Texas close behind, followed by Ohio. Let’s see which state rises next 👀🔥 Link: weareraisingmen.com/leaderboard/

This afternoon , I had the privilege of mowing Mr. Hartford's lawn. As a twice-awarded Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam veteran, serving him in this small way was a true honor. Thank you, Mr. Hartford, for your immense service and sacrifice. Making a difference, one lawn at a time.

This afternoon I had the honor of mowing Mr. Madyuns lawn . He wasn’t home at the time . He’s also a veteran . Thank you for your service . Making a difference one lawn at a time .

Today I had the pleasure of mowing Ms. Walkers lawn . She wasn’t at home , but when she returns , she will return to a freshly mowed lawn . Making a difference , one lawn at a time.

Mow with me

This morning I was back at Mr. Pettys house mowing his lawn ! It was so great seeing him . He’s doing well ! He told me he enjoyed the birthday cake we got him last time ! Making a difference , one lawn at a time. .

Two Hearts. One Mission. A Whole Lot of Impact. Family, help me give a BIG welcome to Amelia & Annabelle from Overland Park, Kansas! These two amazing young leaders have stepped up to take on the 50 Yard Challenge, committing to mow 50 FREE lawns for the elderly, disabled, single parents, and veterans in their community.

Kids all across America are stepping up and making a real difference right in their own communities by mowing free lawns for those in need. If you’re looking for a meaningful way for your child to give back, consider signing them up for the 50 Yard Challenge. This initiative encourages kids to complete 50 acts of service by mowing lawns for the elderly, disabled, single parents, veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders. Along the way, they earn a new colored T-shirt for every 10 lawns they complete, and once they reach 50, they receive a brand-new mower, weed eater, and blower. And it’s not just about mowing, during the fall and winter, raking leaves and shoveling snow also count, making it a year-round opportunity to serve. Beyond the physical work, the 50 Yard Challenge helps kids build character, develop leadership skills, learn responsibility, grow compassion, and gain a strong sense of purpose. Take a moment to talk with your child or a child in your life about joining the challenge. We would love to have them be part of this mission and help us make a difference…one lawn at a time.

Jesse of Hayden , ID who is taking part in our 50 yard challenge recently submitted his 11th yard which was shoveling a drive way ! Another tough job ! What’s harder , snow shoveling or mowing lawns ? I say shoveling snow .

Brianna of High Springs,FL who is taking part in our 50 yard challenge is back in action , submitting her 21st yard , pulling weeds. Weed pilling is no easy job !

Now that’s a job! Leo of Bonduel , Wisconsin who is taking part in our 50 yard challenge submitted his 35 lawn recently .He shoveled someone out their drive way ! Tough job . 15 left for him ! Looks like he’s on pace to finish this year !

Will your kids be next to take on the 50 Yard Challenge? This challenge is open to kids across the USA and beyond! Their mission? Mow 50 free lawns for seniors, individuals with disabilities, single parents, veterans & first responders in their neighborhood. There’s no time limit—plus, they can also rake leaves in the fall and shovel snow in the winter! We’ve designed the challenge like a Karate System—each child starts with a white shirt, then levels up with a new color every 10 lawns. Orange at 10, green at 20, blue at 30, and red at 40. Once they reach 50 lawns, they’ll earn their black shirt and a brand-new set of lawn equipment—a mower, weed eater, and blower! So, what do you say? Are your kids ready to step up and change lives, one lawn at a time? Sign them up here : bit.ly/50yardsignup

Earlier this week , I shared that I’ve been working on a new app that we’ll be releasing soon for testing with kids in our program. It’s a place where they can submit photos of the lawns they complete and track their progress, Ect. Since then, I’ve added a new feature that I’m really excited about , a point system. Here’s how it works: every time a kid submits a lawn for someone they’ve helped, they earn points based on who they served. Lawns for veterans earn 20 points, first responders earn 15 points, elderly and disabled individuals earn 12 points, and single parents earn 10 points. The idea is to make the experience more fun and engaging, while encouraging kids to stay active and complete the full 50 Yard Challenge. If a participant were to mow all 50 lawns for veterans, they could earn up to 1,000 points, the max. I’m also thinking about allowing kids to redeem their points for rewards , things exclusive Raising men or women T-shirts / hoodies ect that they can wear with pride. Just an idea I’m throwing out there as we continue to build this. I’d love to hear your thoughts — does this point system make sense, or do you think we should tweak it a bit? Point wise that are given to each group . * I’m still coding the app , 12 points is suppose to be next to the elderly group .

Skyler Of Anniston,AL who recently signed up for our 50 yard challenge received his safety glasses, ear plugs and white shirt in the mail ! He’s officially ready to start ! What words of advice would you give to him ?

Today I had the pleasure of mowing Ms. Burt’s lawn for her as she rested . Making a difference, one lawn at a time .

Today I had the pleasure of mowing Mr. And Mrs. Coleman’s lawn . They just returned home from an apportionment . Making a difference , one lawn at a time .

This afternoon I had the pleasure of mowing Ms. Holts lawn for her as she rested inside . Making a difference , one lawn at a time .