Four new schools in the Pickens County School District will have the opportunity to use new Grasshopper Mower equipment.

Food Fight raises charity money

The Sam Wyche Food Fight Bowl on Sept. 9, proved to be a powerful night in Easley, SC. While one high school won the football game, Grasshopper Mower, the lawn care pros and manufacturers of the True ZeroTurn™ riding rotary mowers, left everyone feeling like a winner.


A charitable partnership was announced during the opening field presentation. Four new schools in the Pickens County School District will have the opportunity to use new Grasshopper Mower equipment for all their lawn care needs.


Each school will have access to two pieces of equipment, including a versatile FrontMount unit complete with a PowerVac Collection System to vacuum clippings off the fields. This unit can easily interchange with a Turbine Blower implement to use in tight spaces and in areas like tracks and sidewalks, as well as other implements so the mowers can work year-round.


“The partnership with Grasshopper Mower will be a huge benefit to the Pickens County School District, which now has ten times the amount of grass to mow at the new schools,” said Sam Wyche, legendary NFL coach and local resident. “I’ve owned a Grasshopper Mower myself for more than 11 years and I know that these top-of-the-line mowers will get the job done professionally and effectively.”


The Sam Wyche Food Fight Bowl, presented by Grasshopper Mower, is an intense competitive football game between Pickens High School and Easley High School. The two rival schools compete for the Food Fight Bowl trophy by raising money for Meals on Wheels prior to the game.


To kick off the rivalry game, Grasshopper Mower held an opening field presentation where the company presented a check for $4,500 to Meals on Wheels. This money was split evenly between the Pickens High School and the Easley High School fundraising efforts.


The company’s monetary donation to Meals on Wheels helped both towns raise more than $30,000 each, a total of more than $60,000. This is almost double the total funds raised by the previous three Food Fight Bowls. According to Pickens County Meals on Wheels, $60,000 can feed 53 seniors for an entire year.


The amount raised was revealed during the halftime show by two Grasshopper mowers racing down the field, each 5-yard line representing $1,000. With the large amount raised, both mowers drove deep into the opposite end zone. This was the first year for a tie in the fundraising efforts, and both Pickens High School and Easley High School will have their names engraved on the Food Fight Bowl trophy.


Charged rivals, charitable donations, football turf and Grasshopper Mower equipment fueled the Sam Wyche Food Fight Bowl. Easley won the football game over Pickens, 54 – 20, but both schools left a winner.