By Ariana Pedraza
Many people this summer have found hobbies and activities to keep them busy and engaged. One local Valrico fourth-grader took staying busy one step further.
Raising Men Lawn Care Service, a small nonprofit organization, has challenged kids to mow 50 lawns each free of charge for anyone who cannot mow their lawns themselves. This includes the elderly, veterans, single parents and anyone else who is in need of assistance. For every 10 lawns mowed, the participant is rewarded with a different colored shirt (first orange, then green, blue, red and finally black), and at the end, the challenger receives their own lawn mower, leaf blower and weed eater. Participants ages 7-17 are welcome to try and are encouraged to team up to do good for the community.
Corbin Dihel, a 9-year-old boy in the Bloomingdale area, entered the Raising Men Lawn Care Service 50-Yard Challenge with the intention of helping as many people as he could. Within his first five days of starting the challenge, Corbin had mowed eight lawns. With the help of his parents, who did the weed eating, Corbin has been able to get most lawns done within a couple hours. His first lawn, however, was over an acre of grass that had not been mowed in a while and took him three hours to clean up.
“I wanted to help people in need that can’t mow their yards themselves or can’t afford it,” Corbin explained, “So far, I have helped a retired lunch lady with a walker, a single mom, a veteran with cancer, an elderly lady with cancer and an elderly couple with COVID.”
Corbin’s parents have helped, but are giving all the credit to him for getting out there and doing the most he can every time.
Mrs. Dihel, Corbin’s mom, said, “I am so proud that Corbin has stepped up and accepted this challenge. I hope this experience stays with him forever and he always remembers how to spread kindness to others.”
The road to 50 lawns is not a short one, but Corbin plans to go even farther. Soon after finishing his current challenge, he wants to move on to 50 more, exclusively for military members, and then even start his own lawn care service.
To learn more about the 50-Yard Challenge, visit www.weareraisingmen.com/the-50-yard-challenge.
