*The Cleveland Browns are committed to the community. Through First and Ten, the Dawg Pound is encouraged to share what they are doing to give back. Get inspired and check out what these fans are doing to help their community:
*How do you give back?
Check out some of our favorite staff stories from 2017.
This past year staff committed to #give10 to help the local community through various organization-wide opportunities which Included: an internal staff food drive benefiting the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Browns Give Back Day; a celebration of coming together to support education and youth football in Northeast Ohio consisted of nearly 200 Browns staff members assembling various projects from bookcases to high top tables and football benches. The USO care package assembly gave staff and players the opportunity to show their appreciation for those who serve by putting little necessary items in nearly 300 boxes that will be delivered overseas. Finally, one of the last feel-good events of the year which was hosted by former Browns player Andrew Hawkins, staff could help shop, wrap and package gifts for nearly 250 students and teachers.
Name: Victoria Leahy
Hometown: Mansfield, OH
How they give back:
During October, Victoria, a member of the Browns ticketing department, was the co-lead on the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Victoria decided to help out with the Breast Cancer walk because she has been looking for different opportunities to give back to the community. In addition to helping out recently, Victoria used to do other volunteer initiatives to support breast cancer back when she was attending Ohio State University. In addition to breast cancer awareness volunteering, she also is getting involved with Kiwanis club where she will team up with other local adults and do weekly volunteering initiatives with youth in the surrounding communities.
Name: Andrew Berry and Scouting Department
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
How they give back:
Over the summer during the NFL's "Lets Play Football" campaign, Andrew Berry, Vice President of Personnel, and other members of the Browns scouting department took a day off from being in the office to #give10 and provide an unforgettable experience for kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Lorain County and other local organizations. Approximately 50 kids had the opportunity to run around and have some fun on the field at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns. After working on some football drills, getting their heart rates up and meeting some of the staff, they had a pizza party where they also got some Browns goodies to take home. The scouts and the kids alike had an absolute blast and they had a chance to show members of the community how the Browns #give10.
Name: Miguel Pimentel
Hometown:*Cleveland, OH
How they give back:*
Miguel is a member of our Cleveland Browns Family and has been volunteering within the community for a couple of years. One of Miguel's most recent ventures was when he teamed up with the Achievement Centers' Adapted Football League. Adapted Football is a program that teaches kids with special needs and disabilities football fundamentals and skills during an 8-week long camp. Miguel has been volunteering with them for three years and doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. One of the best things Miguel says about volunteering at the camp is seeing how happy the kids are each weekend and seeing them grow up throughout his 3-year tenure. Miguel says he plans to #give10 for as long as he can.
Name: Vanessa Bekono
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
How they give back:
Vanessa is one of our newest members to the Browns organization, but that hasn't stopped her from getting involved. Vanessa started with the Browns back in March and only a couple of months later she had taken the pledge to #give10. Vanessa volunteers with the Adapted Football League in collaboration with the Browns Foundation's partnership. She also volunteers with a youth soccer camp back in her home state of California. Vanessa continues to follow her passion and wants to follow in her father's footsteps by giving back to the community through sports.
Name: Brad Postlewaite
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
How they give back:
Brad is also one of our team members here at the Browns and has been volunteering with the Adapted Football League for three years. Brad says that one reason why he continues to volunteer is because he believes that it is good to make the world a better place. When asked how the Browns changed the way he volunteers, he said, "The Browns helped plant the seed of volunteering in my head." Along with Adapted Football, Brad also volunteers with Hands on Northeast Ohio, a non-profit that helps local residents who need support and resources throughout the cold winter months, and is willing to do anything to help out and to #give10.
Interested in signing up your volunteer group for First and Ten? Group forms available! Click here***http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/community/firstandten.html**** to learn more about how to #give10*
Follow @BrownsGiveBack on Twitter and Instagram and tell us what you are doing to help others using #give10 to unite us all as Browns fans. Give 10 hours, help your community.
The Browns are dedicated to #give10 through the team's First and Ten initiative. Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's community program, established to inspire fans to volunteer in and help their communities throughout the world by volunteering for 10 hours each year. Since its inception, Browns fans have committed to volunteering more than 1.5 million hours to impact their communities by pledging to #give10. Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering program that unifies the team and its entire fan base, with the goal of impacting every individual's city across the globe, as well as the franchise's local community. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team's website and by sharing their stories with #give10**
