Two Lawn Mowers Meant for Iowa Kids Who Finished Rodney Smith Jr.’s 50-Yard Free Mowing Challenge Were Stolen From His Van Outside a Baton Rouge Hotel

Rodney Smith Jr. had driven from Alabama to Baton Rouge with two lawn mowers meant for two Iowa kids, and by Saturday morning, Oct. 31, both were gone. The founder of Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service found his van broken into in a hotel parking lot, with the mowers taken, according to WAFF and WAFB.

Smith told the stations the mowers were for children who had finished his group’s 50-yard challenge, in which young people mow 50 lawns for free for neighbors in need. He says he plans to replace them.

Overnight in a Hotel Parking Lot

WAFB reported that Smith arrived from Alabama on Friday night and that the break-in happened overnight in the Marriott parking lot on Hilton Avenue, off Interstate 10. The driver’s side front and rear windows were shattered and the inside of the van was ransacked, WAFF reported.

Crews replaced the front driver’s side window on Saturday. A replacement for the back glass could not be found right away, according to WAFB. After repairs in Alabama, the station said, Smith was headed to a book festival in Michigan.

He was in Baton Rouge for the Louisiana Book Festival, where WAFB said he shares books that encourage students to serve their communities. The festival’s information page lists the 2026 event for Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Baton Rouge, the same day he discovered the damage.

What the Mowers Were Meant For

Smith said the stolen mowers were not for him. He told WAFF that they were actually for two kids in Iowa who completed the 50-yard challenge. The reports do not name the children, say where in Iowa they live or say how long the mowers had been promised.

WAFB added what he said about the thief. According to the station, Smith’s words were, “Whoever took those lawnmowers, it’s not cool to steal from—these are for kids who work hard to give back to their community.”

The loss falls on a program built around yards. WAFB reported that more than 6,000 children nationwide take part in the challenge, mowing 50 free lawns for seniors, people with disabilities, single parents and veterans.

Who Takes On 50 Lawns

The challenge draws very young mowers. WSAW reported on Oct. 14 that Raising Men & Women encourages young people ages 8 to 17 to mow 50 lawns free of charge for seniors, veterans, first responders and people with disabilities. The station’s example was a 9-year-old in Colby, Wisconsin, who finished his 100th free lawn on Oct. 12.

That report does not mention Smith or any mower given as a reward, so the mower prize described by WAFB and WAFF is not confirmed by the WSAW story. The reports also do not give the make, model or value of the two stolen mowers.

What Police and the City Said

WAFF reported that the Baton Rouge Police Department is investigating. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867.

WAFB noted the timing: the break-in came a day after federal officials named Baton Rouge one of four cities in the Justice Department’s Model Cities Initiative. Mayor-President Sid Edwards called the designation “a reward for a lot of the same work that’s being done,” the station reported, and it added that police data shows overall crime is down citywide.

Neither report says whether anyone has been arrested. Neither lists a fundraiser for Smith, who plans to replace the mowers himself.

Back to Baton Rouge Anyway

Smith told WAFB that he holds no ill will toward whoever broke into the van. He said he will keep coming to Baton Rouge because he loves it there, and WAFB reported that he has family in the city. WAFF quoted him saying he will continue to come back because he loves it there.

WAFB said it first profiled Smith in 2019, when it described him as a volunteer who travels the country providing free lawn care. Both stations identify his group as Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service.

The book festival he came for is built around young readers. The festival’s kids program page describes a Young Readers Pavilion in front of the State Library with an activities tent, a storytelling tent, a writing tent and a face painting tent, plus crafts and costumed storybook characters. It says the festival believes the love of books and reading begins in childhood.

Several details remain open in the Oct. 31 reports. No suspect is named, no arrest is reported, and neither station says when the replacement mowers will reach the Iowa children. Police ask anyone with information about the van break-in at the Hilton Avenue hotel to contact Crime Stoppers, WAFF reported, and the station gave the same tip line number as WAFB.

For the two Iowa children, the mowers are still on the way. Smith has said he will replace them, and WAFB reported that he plans to keep up his nationwide work and to return to Baton Rouge, where he has family.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: GURoadrunner – CC0/Wikimedia Commons