Rodney Smith Jr.’s mission is giving, and Ford has recognized him with a gift of its own.
Smith, of Huntsville, AL, was in Metro Detroit recently on a national tour in which he mowed lawns for free for veterans. He’s made at least five such tours of the U.S., according to CNN.
Not surprisingly, Smith has racked up a lot of miles on his ’13 Ford Edge — more than 333,000 (536,000 km) — hauling his lawnmower around the country. Ford got wind of Smith’s enterprise and stepped in while he was mowing the lawns of veterans Jim and Gale Owens to present him with a replacement, a ’20 Edge ST-Line.
The handoff was made by Mark LaNeve, Ford executive vice president for marketing, sales and service.
Smith found further use for his aged Edge (which “still runs great”), saying in a tweet: “Once I am done with my current 50 State tour, I’m getting my car detailed, tuned up, (getting) new wheels and checked out then I’m going to give it to a family in need of a car to get to A&B…Pay it forward! Thank you.”
Smith doesn’t act alone. He’s the founder of the Raising Men Lawn Care Service, which recruits boys and girls to do yard work for free for the elderly, disabled and single parents in addition to veterans.
