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Hauter Finishes Trek Across U.S.; Raises
$150,000 for Keep America Beautiful
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| Hauter crosses the finish line in
New York City's Battery Park, completing the 79-day, 5,600-mile
"Mow Across America" for Yard-Man MTD and Keep America Beautiful that
started in San Francisco on March 19. |
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YARD-MAN'S UPDATES ABOUT HAUTER. |
The days of 3:30 a.m. wake-up
calls, rain-filled drives through the countryside and helping clean up
America –- while riding on a Yard-Man MTD lawn mower -- are over for Brad
Hauter.
The Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology soccer coach completed a 79-day, 5,600-mile journey across
America on June 5 that raised more than $150,000 for Keep America Beautiful,
spread messages about the importance of community beautification efforts in
media throughout the world, and may have topped his own world record for
cross country lawn mower riding.
After finishing in Battery Park in New York City, Hauter conducted
interviews on the Cable News Network, New York City television stations and
international television stations. He was also featured in articles
distributed by the Associated Press and other newspapers, and conducted
hundreds of telephone interviews with radio stations throughout America.
Best yet, Hauter was highlighted June 6 on ESPN SportsCenter’s “Top 10 Plays
of the Day” television feature. Completion of the trek ranked No. 3 on the
list.
“I played soccer for 10 years and never once made it onto SportsCenter.
Now, I jump on a riding mower and I’m on the ‘Top 10 Plays of the Day.’
It’s unreal,” Hauter said during a telephone interview from New York City,
where he was visiting his wife and two children.
“This trip was 100 miles and 12 days longer (than a similar journey in 1999
for Yard-Man MTD). This time we did more community events, trying to get
people involved in our beautification efforts,” Hauter said. “I met a lot
of great people along the way. It was an experience that I will never
forget.”
Hauter’s “Mow Across America” adventure started March 19 in San Francisco
and included stops to conduct community cleanup events in Los Angeles, Las
Vegas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta, Charlotte,
Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Rose-Hulman is planning to welcome Hauter back to campus on June 11 with a
reception in which the coach can relate some of the interesting stories from
the trip. Media interviews are being planned in Indianapolis on June 10.
“I am looking forward to getting back home and having a normal daily
routine, without 3:30 a.m. wake-up calls to prepare for the day’s
activities,” said Hauter, who estimates that he gained approximately 15
pounds along the trip. “I have kept up with (soccer) recruiting by visiting
prospects who lived in cities along the route or sending e-mail messages to
students, and also kept in contact with my current players and my
Rose-Hulman colleagues. Now, it will be nice to see people face-to-face.”
Kelly Kozdras, a 1999 Rose-Hulman electrical engineering graduate who now
lives in New York City, was among persons who welcomed Hauter to the finish
line. |
