Tell Your Friends. It's a 24 hour mowing/barbecuing/camping event. The Mower Gang is hosting a Mow-A-Thon unlike any you have ever seen. For 24 hours straight we'll mow as much parkland as we can. You should join us. You can Register for the Motown Mowdown here. It is free of charge and there will be rewards for hard work.
We will be all over town, with the overnight portion contained within our home park of Dorais.
Date: May 25th, 10AM, Starting at O'Shea Playground (SW corner of I-96 and Greenfield Rd.). Rain Date: June 1st.
What It Is: The event will last for 24 hours. During that time, teams will try to keep their equipment running for as many of those hours as possible while we clean and mow as many Detroit playgrounds and parks as possible.
Who: The Detroit Mower Gang is a group of volunteers that clean and mow the abandoned playgrounds of Detroit. Everyone is welcome in the gang. You don't even need equipment. If you want to join, just post here and ask to be included in a team.
Who Is Making This Possible: Volunteers like yourself make this possible and Husqvarna is helping us do great work by donating really great equipment.
Why: Because kids need a place to play and they can't cut their own grass.
How: We will mow as much as possible in any way possible. Members bring their own lawn tractors, push mowers, weed whackers, blowers, and work gloves.
How Is It Judged: Some people will be there for fun. Others will be there to compete. The competition will make use of most mower's hour meters. The team that keeps their mower running for the most hours out of 24 will win the grand prize (whatever it happens to be)
How Much Does It Cost: It is Free! There is no entry fee or anything like that. You'll need to bring your own gasoline, supplies, place to sleep, etc.
Schedule: 9-10AM - Arrive and check in (O'Shea Playground).
10AM - Start Mowing! until O'Shea is done.
Then on to the next park, then the next, then the next. We will use phones to let you know where we are heading next and to let the public where we are.
2PM - Lunch - A restaurant is inviting us to dine-in. They have sinks and bathrooms and a parking lot large enough that you may be able to park your trailer there and certainly you'll be able to park nearby.
7PM - Dinner at Dorais Playground (our home park where we will have porta johns and we will be spending the night.
11PM - Midnight Snack / Mowers go quiet, gardening continues
6AM - Mowers start again
7AM - Breakfast
10AM - Finish
Is it fun: Yup.
Is it hard work: Yes.
Is it dangerous: Eh..
Is it the kind of work you will be proud of: Yes.
Why do you do it: Because it feels good to help people and because when you do good things, you meet good people.
What does it take to win? Grit, Determination, and the avoidance of buried treasure out in the tall grass.
Who can enter? Anyone.
Does it cost anything? There is no entry fee. Participants bring their own equipment and gas. Sponsors will provide some food and we are trying to secure some free stuff as prizes.
Are you really going to work for 24 hours? Yes. We are going to try to push our bodies and machines to the limit.
Why? Because kids all over Detroit deserve to wake up Sunday morning to a clean, mowed, useful playground.
How do I sign up? You can Register for the Motown Mowdown here. It is free of charge and there will be rewards for hard work.
Are teams forming? Yes. Gang members are forming teams. Please attend any Mower Gang event to meet the gang members and join them. If you can't attend, try to post on our Facebook page that you are looking for a team. Let people know what experience you have with mowers and what you bring to the table (for example you might say "I have sat on a mower at home depot before and I will bring a 12 pack of beer").
What is the secret to victory? We aren't sure. This is the first event of its kind, but our extensive mowing of the parks indicates that in order to keep mowing you will need to avoid large rocks, buried car jacks, and discarded clothing. A pair of jeans can take half an hour to untangle from your mower blades. You will have to keep your body fueled up without getting too drunk, and you'll have to make sure that your engine has oil inside of it. The winning team will almost certainly contain at least three drivers to share the punishment.
Prizes?: We have some, but not many. If anyone is interested in sponsoring the event and/or donating prizes, please contact Tom: tom@mowergang.com We could use your help.
Where can I buy Husqvarna Equipment: You can buy Husqvarna equipment at Lowe's and at Husqvarna dealers. Billings Lawn Equipment on Main Street in Royal Oak is a great dealer.
Where do I sign up? You can Register for the Motown Mowdown here. It is free of charge and there will be rewards for hard work.
We will be all over town, with the overnight portion contained within our home park of Dorais.
Date: May 25th, 10AM, Starting at O'Shea Playground (SW corner of I-96 and Greenfield Rd.). Rain Date: June 1st.
What It Is: The event will last for 24 hours. During that time, teams will try to keep their equipment running for as many of those hours as possible while we clean and mow as many Detroit playgrounds and parks as possible.
Who: The Detroit Mower Gang is a group of volunteers that clean and mow the abandoned playgrounds of Detroit. Everyone is welcome in the gang. You don't even need equipment. If you want to join, just post here and ask to be included in a team.
Who Is Making This Possible: Volunteers like yourself make this possible and Husqvarna is helping us do great work by donating really great equipment.
Why: Because kids need a place to play and they can't cut their own grass.
How: We will mow as much as possible in any way possible. Members bring their own lawn tractors, push mowers, weed whackers, blowers, and work gloves.
How Is It Judged: Some people will be there for fun. Others will be there to compete. The competition will make use of most mower's hour meters. The team that keeps their mower running for the most hours out of 24 will win the grand prize (whatever it happens to be)
How Much Does It Cost: It is Free! There is no entry fee or anything like that. You'll need to bring your own gasoline, supplies, place to sleep, etc.
Schedule: 9-10AM - Arrive and check in (O'Shea Playground).
10AM - Start Mowing! until O'Shea is done.
Then on to the next park, then the next, then the next. We will use phones to let you know where we are heading next and to let the public where we are.
2PM - Lunch - A restaurant is inviting us to dine-in. They have sinks and bathrooms and a parking lot large enough that you may be able to park your trailer there and certainly you'll be able to park nearby.
7PM - Dinner at Dorais Playground (our home park where we will have porta johns and we will be spending the night.
11PM - Midnight Snack / Mowers go quiet, gardening continues
6AM - Mowers start again
7AM - Breakfast
10AM - Finish
Is it fun: Yup.
Is it hard work: Yes.
Is it dangerous: Eh..
Is it the kind of work you will be proud of: Yes.
Why do you do it: Because it feels good to help people and because when you do good things, you meet good people.
What does it take to win? Grit, Determination, and the avoidance of buried treasure out in the tall grass.
Who can enter? Anyone.
Does it cost anything? There is no entry fee. Participants bring their own equipment and gas. Sponsors will provide some food and we are trying to secure some free stuff as prizes.
Are you really going to work for 24 hours? Yes. We are going to try to push our bodies and machines to the limit.
Why? Because kids all over Detroit deserve to wake up Sunday morning to a clean, mowed, useful playground.
How do I sign up? You can Register for the Motown Mowdown here. It is free of charge and there will be rewards for hard work.
Are teams forming? Yes. Gang members are forming teams. Please attend any Mower Gang event to meet the gang members and join them. If you can't attend, try to post on our Facebook page that you are looking for a team. Let people know what experience you have with mowers and what you bring to the table (for example you might say "I have sat on a mower at home depot before and I will bring a 12 pack of beer").
What is the secret to victory? We aren't sure. This is the first event of its kind, but our extensive mowing of the parks indicates that in order to keep mowing you will need to avoid large rocks, buried car jacks, and discarded clothing. A pair of jeans can take half an hour to untangle from your mower blades. You will have to keep your body fueled up without getting too drunk, and you'll have to make sure that your engine has oil inside of it. The winning team will almost certainly contain at least three drivers to share the punishment.
Prizes?: We have some, but not many. If anyone is interested in sponsoring the event and/or donating prizes, please contact Tom: tom@mowergang.com We could use your help.
Where can I buy Husqvarna Equipment: You can buy Husqvarna equipment at Lowe's and at Husqvarna dealers. Billings Lawn Equipment on Main Street in Royal Oak is a great dealer.
Where do I sign up? You can Register for the Motown Mowdown here. It is free of charge and there will be rewards for hard work.