BEATRICE - Two southeast Nebraska school districts and a cemetery association are the latest honorees in a local manufacturer’s ongoing program to give back to the community.


Exmark Manufacturing held a presentation Tuesday, donating mowers the company makes to Beatrice Public Schools, Lewiston Consolidated Schools and the Beatrice Cemetery Association. Exmark Financial Planning Manager Patty Kaufman says a team of Exmark employees reviews applications and makes the decisions on which organizations are chosen. She says the program is part of long-history of Exmark where the company and its employees help make their communities better.


"We do lots of different things throughout the year. Just last Friday we had a group of people go and paint a Habitat house here in Beatrice..and we do a lot of things with Habitat, ongoing. We also do a Big Rock project every year....that's a $25,000 community project. This year, it's at the Wilber Lake and Arboretum and so we're going to be doing some work over there with a group of employees on Thursday."


Chad Kleveland with the Beatrice Cemetery Association says the new Exmark mower will help cut maintenance time….with three employees currently sharing two machines.  "It takes us about four days to keep it completely mowed...in a five-day work period. By Monday, we start all over. So, our goal with this mower, is to be able to get from four days to two-and-a-half-days....and hopefully being able to keep up on the weed eating, tree trimming and all the extra stuff that goes with keeping up with a cemetery."


Beatrice Public Schools Superintendent Jason Alexander thanked Exmark on behalf of the district, the board of education and grounds crew…and said the company also does a lot to benefit the district by working with students.  "Our students had a manufacturing day and through that experience, they get to find out what its like to be part of an organization like Exmark. They get to role-model it, they get to see it..they get to be part of it and understand that being part of a community means giving back. We can't express enough sincere thanks and gratitude to Exmark for not only the lawn mower, but for being part of our community, giving back to the community and role-modeling that to our students, which is so important."


The Lewiston Consolidated Schools is also receiving a new mower, which Superintendent Rick Kentfield says continues some great things that have happened to the consolidated school.  "This past year, Lewiston was fortunate to have an anonymous donor donate a one-point-five million dollar track to our district. Construction of that track was completed in May. It added an extra ten acres that we put the track on, to the district..and for the building and grounds crew to keep things mowed up and looking nice. So, perfect timing...we just really appreciate the work that Exmark does in the communities."


The mower donations were made at Exmark’s administrative offices and conference area, at the Gage County Industrial Park.  Each organization received an Exmark Lazer-Z Ultracut Series-Four, 60-inch deck mower.