Cleveland Browns host Cleveland Metropolitan School District Special Olympics
Current Cleveland Browns players OL Joel Bitonio and OL Chris Hubbard joined Cleveland Browns Alumni LB Tom Cousineau, G Al Jenkins, QB David Mays, LB Frank Stams, RB Jamel White, OT Doug Dieken and Cleveland Browns Mascot Chomps for a day of fun. The Cleveland Browns hosted 750 Special Olympics athletes, coaches and volunteers at their Casey Coleman Field House located at their training and administrative complex in Berea, Ohio.
With the help of local college football players from John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace Universities the Browns ran a variety of activity stations that included youth football drills, timed 40 yard dash, field goal kicking, dance station, Play 60 prize wheel, corn-hole, flag football, passing for accuracy, passing and catching, and obstacle running. A tailgate lunch of hot dogs, chips, cookies and drink was also provided courtesy of the Cleveland Touchdown Club Charities. On the field a water station was provided to keep everyone properly hydrated.
During the event the Cleveland Browns presented CMSD with a $5,000 Browns PLAY 60 Grant that will be used to launch a Unified Flag Football initiative in the school district. Through this partnership, athletes and unified partners of CMSD high schools will have the opportunity to participate in an upcoming pilot program geared at providing opportunities for students with and without disabilities to play football on the same team.
During this Browns First and Ten Initiative event volunteers from participating organizations including University Hospitals, Cleveland Browns Staff Members and #give10 members were on hand to help create wonderful memories for the Special Olympics guests.
Browns Give Back program is dedicated to #give10 through the team’s First and Ten initiative. The program, launched in June of 2014 was established to encourage fans to sign up on the Cleveland Browns website, www.clevelandbrowns.com/brownsgiveback to register and volunteer ten hours a year in their local community. Once completing their pledged amount of hours they are invited to return to the site and share their experiences. The Cleveland Browns are the only team in the entire NFL to promote long term volunteering through their fans all over the world.
The Cleveland Browns are dedicated to improving the quality of education for students in Northeast Ohio by making investments that keep kids in school every day so they can succeed. The team engages local schools and promotes education in various capacities throughout the year to help identify and remove attendance barriers and support engagement opportunities for students to thrive by monitoring attendance patterns to help understand how best to support students and schools.
The Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth and high school football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns’ goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
The Browns PLAY 60 movement, contributing to the NFL’s nationwide initiative to promote youth health and wellness by getting active at least 60 minutes each day, is in association with University Hospitals. The Browns actively bring PLAY 60 to the local community throughout the year to ensure kids and families are learning about and taking steps toward a healthy lifestyle.