SALT LAKE CITY - With lawn mowing equipment that's at least 20 years old and a 65-year-old disabled veteran in the house, the Dolim's weren't sure when their Sandy lawn would get mowed. That was until Rodney Smith came to Utah, his 34th stop on a tour to mow 50 lawns in 50 states.
During a sleepless Sunday night, Rochelle Dolim saw a re-tweet from Utah Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox. Rodney Smith put out the call to Utahans in need, offering to mow the lawns of single moms, the elderly, the disabled, and veterans, for free.
With a disabled husband who spent 29 years in the military and three children with autism, Rochelle Dolim decided to contact him.
“If you'd like to consider us okay. Not expecting anything. Not asking for it,” Dolim said to Smith.
Early Monday morning, she got a call from Smith.
“Oh, it was so serendipitous. Just unexpected,” says Dolim.
Within a few hours, he was at her house in Sandy.
“This is wonderful. I mean Rodney's lawnmower is a lot better than ours,” said Dolim.
Smith’s stop in Utah is part of his second annual nationwide tour, 50 lawns in 50 states. It’s a mission to perform this random act of kindness for Americans in need.
“I’m glad I could help them out because they're not able to mow their lawns. I'm able so I can do it for them,” Smith said.
Last year he did 50 states in 39 days, but this year he's planning on stopping at schools and organizations along the way to teach kids about lawnmower safety and encourage them to do their own 50-yard challenge.
At just 28-years-old, Smith is a cut above the rest.
“We are incredibly grateful. My husband and my back just aren't up to it,” said Dolim.
From Utah, Rodney will head to Arizona and he'll be documenting his journey along the way. If you want to follow him on social media, here’s the link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rjr.smith.
You can also visit Smith's website: http://weareraisingmen.com/.
