"He's a keeper..."

Homeowner Ryan Cox of Oakdale, CA, already has a lawn service, so when 14-year-old Cody Mitschelin knocked on his door and offered to mow his lawn for $5, Cox declined. Cody looked so disappointed that Cox asked why he needed the money. Cody said he wanted to take his girlfriend of six months, Audrey Fierro, out on their first "real date" but didn't have enough money. Cox hired him on the spot, and convinced several neighbors to let him cut their lawns too. He posted a picture of Cody mowing his yard on Facebook, and told his story. With a few days, the post had 83,000 shares, and Cox received replies from New Zealand, Africa and Vietnam, many expressing delight that a young man would actually work for what he needs, instead of just asking his parents for it.

                                                                                                                                           Facebook
The next evening, when they arrived for their first "real date" at Safari Pizza, the hostess asked, "Are you Cody?" When he said yes, he and Audrey were taken to a reserved, candlelit table and served a free meal. Cody remembers, "When we sat down, everyone in the restaurant went 'aww,' and I was like 'stop looking at us.'" The complimentary meal left Cody with enough money to take Audrey on two more dates. He describes her as charming and beautiful. Audrey says, "He's a keeper."