10 year old mowing 50 lawns for free

For Travis "Junior" Horton Jr. says one of the perks of turning 10 was learning to mow grass. Already, the young man is putting his new skills to the test.

In July, the young man from Boiling Springs accepted the 50 Yard Challenge, a community service outreach crafted by Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service.

"I have to mow 50 yards for free for the elderly, single parents, veterans and people who are disabled," explained Horton shortly after finishing his ninth mow.

The service and subsequent community challenge are the creation of Rodney Smith Jr.

In 2015, Smith was driving home from school when he saw an older man cutting his grass.

"He looked like he was struggling. So I pulled over and helped him out," he said.

Seeing the impact his good deed had on the man, Smith said he resolved to mow more yards for strangers.

"I did 100 yards in a month and a half," he said.

In 2016, Smith launched Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service as a way to challenge young people in Alabama to be more active in their communities. In the six years since, the challenge has spread to include more than 4,000 children across all 50 states.

Horton decided to take the challenge after his mom, Emily Horton, found a video about it on Facebook.

"I shared it with him, and we talked about if it was something he would like to do," she said. "I'm really proud of him for setting this goal, and he is sticking to it. We are Christians, and we talk about helping others, so this is a kind of outreach."

For agreeing to take the challenge, Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service sent Horton a white T-shirt, pair of safety glasses and some hearing protection. For every 10 yards he mows, the organization will send him a new shirt, signifying his progress in the challenge.

"It works kind of like a karate system. You start with a white belt and as you do more, you get a new color," said Smith. "When they get to 50 lawns, I drive to wherever they live and present them with a new lawn mower and a blower."

It took Horton less than a week to finish his first nine yards. He started the challenge by advertising in his church and as word has spread, Emily said there is already a list of more than 20 people waiting for his services. He hopes to have all 50 yards finished this year.

"He wants to get his own mower so he can start his own business, make his own money," said Horton's father, Travis. "He's working hard. He does all of the work himself."

Even after he's finished the challenge, Horton said he aims to keep helping people in the community with their yards.

"It is hard work. I like doing it," he said. "Just to give back to the community, I guess."

Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Local boy volunteers to mow 50 yards for free.