In 2015, Rodney Smith Jr. was driving home in Huntsville, Alabama, when he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn. He pulled over to help. Today thousands of kids across the country are doing the same thing on his challenge, and the ones who finish all 50 lawns get a brand-new set of lawn equipment.

The Lawn He Could Not Drive Past

Smith told Good Morning America that the man "looked like he was struggling, so I pulled over and helped him."

"That's when I got my goal to mow lawns for free for the elderly, single moms and veterans," he said. He told CNN he made the decision that same night.

The following year he went viral for helping a 93-year-old woman who could no longer mow her lawn. He later traveled to all 50 states to mow free lawns, and an airline helped him reach the last two, Alaska and Hawaii.

His nonprofit, Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service, is based in Huntsville.

Fifty Lawns, Five Shirts

The 50 Yard Challenge hands the idea to kids. Each one mows 50 lawns for free for the elderly, people with disabilities, single parents and veterans, people who do not have the time, resources or money to keep up their yards.

A kid joins by sending a photo holding a sign that accepts the challenge. The program works like a karate belt system. A white shirt comes at sign-up, then orange at 10 lawns, green at 20, blue at 30 and red at 40.

At 50 lawns the kid earns a black shirt. Finishers also receive a new mower, trimmer and blower, according to Upworthy and local news reports.

6,000 Kids and Counting

As of mid-2026, more than 6,000 pre-teens and teens have signed up, up from 4,588 in May 2023, according to Upworthy. That is sign-ups, not finishers. Upworthy notes that if every one of them finished, the total of free lawns would pass 300,000.

The program says kids are active in all 50 states. Smith has also traveled to meet finishers in person, and a Birmingham TV station filmed him surprising 11-year-olds with their new gear.

What They Do With the Machines

Smith has said that a lot of kids take the equipment they earn and start a business. The organization also has kids rake leaves and shovel snow for the same neighbors.

It all traces back to one stop on the side of a road in Huntsville. Kids are still signing up today.

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