Local

Mowing with Cops tour kicks off in Apopka

APOPKA, Fla. — Rodney Smith Jr. traveled to all 50 states to mow lawns for free and on Wednesday morning he kicked off his Mowing with Cops tour in Apopka.

Smith has cut more than 2,000 lawns over the last four years and two Apopka police officers helped him today.

“When I first heard his story, I was so inspired by it,” said Officer Justin Lemieux.

Smith said when he first started his journey, he thought he would just be mowing lawns in Alabama.

Smith is the CEO of Raising Men and Women Lawn Care.

He founded the nonprofit as a 15-year-old in Huntsville, Alabama. He started mowing lawns for his neighbors in need for free. Then, he launched the “50 yard challenge.”

The challenge encourages kids to mow 50 yards in their neighborhoods for free.

The campaign went worldwide and now hundreds of children are taking part in the challenge.

"It's a beautiful thing to see it all grow from a seed and it's blossoming," Smith said.

The Apopka Police Department accepted the challenge and has mowed 24 lawns this summer.

Smith gifted the department a new lawnmover with flashing lights for being the first law enforcement agency to take on the challenge.

They are now challenging other law enforcement agencies around the county to mow 50 yards.

"When law enforcement agencies see projects like this, especially community policing that works, it really brings people together,” Lemieux said.

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