The Cleveland Browns once again return to the Cleveland Food Bank just in time for Thanksgiving
Long before the Cleveland Browns #give10 First and Ten initiative was started in June of 2014 the team began visiting The Cleveland Food Bank prior to Thanksgiving in order to help sort, package and load the tons of food going out to the community. Fact is, the Cleveland Browns players and staff have been doing this for over ten years.
This year the Cleveland Browns were joined by the Giant Eagle Volunteers (Giant Eagle is the official supermarket of the Cleveland Browns) in order to lend a hand. Browns veteran players included OL Joel Bitonio, OL Greg Robinson, DL Trevon Coley, LB Joe Schobert, DL Myles Garrett, OL Earl Watford and WR Rashard Higgins as well as the official Cleveland Browns mascot, Chomps.
Members of the Cleveland Browns rookie class also gave up their day off and included LB Genard Avery, OL Desmond Harrison, QBBaker Mayfield, DL Chad Thomas, WR Antonio Callaway, RB Dontrell Hilliard, DB Montrel Meander, DB Tavierre Thomas, RB Nick Chubb, LB D’Juan Hines, DB Tigie Sankoh, DB Denzel Ward, OL Austin Corbett, DB Robert Jackson, WR Damion Ratley, WR Derrick Willies, DL Daniel Ekualoe, K Greg Joseph and WR Da’Mari Scott who were also joined by Browns Alumni DE Keith Baldwin, QB David Mays, QB Ken Polke, RB Greg Pruitt and LB Frank Stams. Also showing up to help out were members of the Browns Women Organization and Browns Staff.
Along with the volunteer hours put in the Cleveland Browns and players donated enough money this year to supply an additional 80,000 meals to the six counties the food bank serves. Also, prior to the Kansas City Chiefs game at First Energy Stadium the Cleveland Browns hosted their annual Browns Give Back, First and Ten Food Drive presented by Sugardale that yielded enough food and donations to supply 160,000 meals to families in northeast Ohio.
The Cleveland Browns also host an annual gala Taste of the Browns event that features Cleveland’s top chefs while raising money and awareness to combat hunger in local communities. This year’s event was co-chaired by LB Christian Kirksey and alumni WR and special teams coaching intern Josh Cribbs.
The Cleveland Browns Give Back program is part of the First and Ten initiative of which #give10 is a part. Fans around the world are invited to sign up on the team’s website (www.clevelandbrowns.com) and after clicking on “Community” pledge to volunteer 10 hours of community service within a years time. Once they fulfill this promise, they can return to the site and share their experiences.
Last year the Cleveland Food Bank (the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio) helped distribute over 55,000,000 meals to families in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties. For more information go to www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org.