Bellevue Brothers Complete the Fifty Yard Challenge

Brothers Timmy and Vinny Coy received a special delivery last week. Rodney Smith Jr., president of the nonprofit group Raising Men and Women Lawn Care Service, arrived at the Coy residence with two brand new Craftsman lawn mowers, two Badger trimmers/brush cutters, and two Craftsman blowers – all as rewards for completing the 50 Yard Challenge.

The 50 Yard Challenge is an ongoing national event sponsored by Smith’s nonprofit group, based in Huntsville, Alabama. The challenge asks boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 17 to mow fifty yards for free. The yards need to belong to the elderly, disabled, single parents, veterans, or anyone in need of help. According to the sponsor website, there are over 5,000 youth across the United States currently taking part in the 50 Yard Challenge.

Two of those youth include the Coy brothers. Timmy (age 16) and Vinny (age 11) signed up and officially accepted the challenge on July 19, 2024. After their shirts, safety glasses, and earplugs arrived – all provided by the organization – they mowed their first lawn on July 26th.

The brothers first learned about the challenge from their parents, Justin and Christy Coy. The family watched a local news story featuring Smith. He was leaving Columbus, Nebraska after delivering new lawn equipment for two youth who had completed the challenge. Roughly 40 miles outside of Columbus, Smith’s van broke down. Anderson Ford in Lincoln got involved and, after hearing Smith’s vision and learning about the good work his nonprofit has done all over the country, they decided to fix his van at no cost, waiving the roughly $20,000 that the new engine and repairs would have cost.

The story caught the interest of Timmy & Vinny. “We wondered why Anderson Ford fixed his van for free,” Vinny said. “So we looked him up and found out he had a lawn company that mowed lawns for free for those in need. He also had a challenge for kids and we wanted to try it.”

Both brothers agreed that their main inspiration for attempting the challenge was to help people in need around Bellevue and see the impact it would have throughout the community. The free lawn equipment was an added bonus.

The brothers mowed lawns all around the city. They only mowed one in their neighborhood, while the lawn furthest away was near 40th and Harrison. Their most challenging lawn was on the Boulevard. “For this yard, we had to call our grandpa, who had a riding mower,” said Vinny. “It was about an acre and the grass was so tall, probably up to my knees.”

“We mowed a good portion of the lawn with our push mowers, but we were glad our grandpa came with his riding mower,” added Timmy. “It took us about six hours over two days to get the job done.”

While the yard work needed to be done by the brothers, their parents, Justin and Christy Coy, helped out where they could. Christy helped spread the word about the challenge and set up clients for the boys. She also made sure the boys got to their clients on time. Justin helped with loading the mowers, ensuring they were properly fueled, and transporting the boys and their equipment.

Justin and Christy both expressed how proud they were to see their boys step up and complete the challenge. “It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Timmy and Vinny to work together and accomplish something bigger than themselves,” Christy shared. “As the boys started mowing, they faced a few challenges, such as communicating with each other, some difficult and large lawns, and issues with their lawn equipment. I felt so proud to see how they persevered through those challenges and were able to problem solve.”

“It was a fun experience that I’m glad they participated in, and we would do it all over again,” Justin added. “The boys had a lot of support from family, friends, and the people they mowed for. They received many monetary donations, and even a few tips for their hard work and effort with the lawns. The boys used the money for gas, mower maintenance, and weed eater line. Timmy and Vinny were also able to give Rodney a hefty donation when he came to deliver their new lawn equipment.”

More information on the 50 Yard Challenge, can be found on their website: https://weareraisingmen.com/the-50-yard-challenge/

|| Pictures provided by Christy Coy ||