Picture below is Lucas Van Engen between Bourbon and Sullivan on Old 66 Washington, Mo. The Craftsman lawn mower man is rolling into Washington for a Sears Hometown Store celebration. The driver and his Craftsman 54-inch Kohler Courage Riding Garden Tractor pulled away from Santa Monica Pier in Calif. on May 15 to kick off the first ever Craftsman Across America tour. The three-month endurance test will cover roughly 3,300 miles of U.S. asphalt and lawns before concluding in New York City on Aug. 24.
A special stop will be made in Washington for a ‘meet and greet’ with fans on July 24 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Sears Hometown Store located at 1048 Washington Avenue in Washington, MO. Fans can interact with the dynamic duo of man and machine, take photos, win Craftsman give a ways, enjoy a free lunch and enjoy other fun activities.
A $5,000 check presentation will be made to Washington parks and recreation department during the event, to help keep the community looking great. A representative from the city will be there to accept the donation.
“We are excited that Craftsman Across America is stopping here in Washington so the driver can meet with customers and talk to them about his trip,” said Demea Loyd, store owner of the Washington Sears Hometown Store. “It’s great to be a part of the adventure and then see him back on the road again.”
During the coast-to-coast trip to demonstrate the durability and performance of Craftsman garden tractors, the driver will make eight stops where a donation will be made to the local parks and recreation department.  The remaining locations are listed below. Additional pit stops will be made at Sears Hometown Store locations and other locations in more than 20 cities along the route.
* Washington, MO area – Sun., July 25
* Indianapolis area – Mon., Aug. 2
* Central Pennsylvania – Sun., Aug. 15
Craftsman Across America enthusiasts can visit www. craftsmanacrossamerica.com to see the tour route and become a fan of Craftsman on Facebook. Here, fans can track the driver’s journey, find out where he is stopping next, leave suggestions on places to visit and read the Craftsman Across America blog with commentary, images and video that will be uploaded from the road each day.
Serving as the driver for Craftsman Across America will be Lucas Van Engen. Van Engen currently resides in New York City and grew up in South Bend, Ind. With a love for engineering and a passion for people and travel, he is well suited for the trip. For Van Engen, it’s a dream come true to travel across the country, interview and meet people along the way and find stories that will be shared with fans online, all while on a tractor.
“I am honored to be part of this unique journey across America,” said Van Engen. “With my Craftsman garden tractor taking me from coast-to-coast, I know I’ve got a trusted partner for my travels.”
The Craftsman garden tractor chosen for the haul through America’s heartland is the Craftsman 54-in. Kohler Courage 26-horsepower Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor (#28948). It provides the latest in durability, comfort and performance from Craftsman. The garden tractor can cut grass at speeds up to 7.5 MPH, matching the speed of many zero-turn tractors. It is powered by a 26-horsepower Kohler Courage V-twin engine with overhead valves.
The heavy duty premium hydrostatic/automatic transmission matches the speed of the tractor with the job at hand.  It also features a 54-inch precision cutting deck with four gauge wheels. The Craftsman 54-inch Kohler Courage 26-horsepower Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor retails for $3,479.99.
To learn more about Craftsman garden tractors and the wide selection of other lawn and garden products needed to maintain a well kept yard, visit www.craftsman.com or one of the many Sears or Sears Hometown Stores nationwide.  For more than 80 years, Craftsman has developed innovative products. Craftsman was ranked as the most trusted tool brand in America in the 2008 Harris Interactive Equitrend Brand Study.
About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation’s fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance.  Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year.  Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart.
We are the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation.
For more information, visit Sears Holdings’ website at www.searsholdings.com.
About Sears
Hometown Stores
Sears Hometown Stores were developed seventeen years ago to serve Sears customers in locations outside of major metropolitan cities. There are currently nearly 950 Hometown Stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. These stores carry all of the top home appliance brands, consumer electronics, tools and lawn and garden equipment. Sears Hometown Stores, LLC carry proprietary Sears’ brands, such as Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard, as well as a wide assortment of national brands.
In addition, Sears Hometown Stores are locally-owned and operated by dedicated, hard-working individuals that take great pride in serving their communities and representing Sears nationwide.
For more information, visit Sears Hometown Stores’ website at www.searshometownstores.com.