*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?#give10
Name: Paul Milliken
Hometown:Western, PA
How they give back:Paul Milliken, also known as Colonel Milliken, is a former military member who has served all around the globe. Colonel Milliken has served in Alaska, Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Spain and Peru. Since then he has made Youngstown his home. Although Colonel Milliken recently retired, he never wanted to stop serving in some aspect or another. When he finally retired he started to get involved with the USO, or the United States Organizations, where their mission is to "strengthen America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation." Colonel Milliken volunteers with the USO as much as he can and is also a volunteer Chaplain were he performs military services down at Case Western Reserve. When asked why Colonel Milliken performs military funerals he said "I want to continue to recognize people for their service even after they are gone."
Name: Annie Burke
Hometown:Munster, IN
How they give back:
Annie is a senior nursing student at Case Western Reserve University and one of her final projects is to work in the community and do health presentations. Annie has been recently volunteering at NYSP camp and has been helping run two, five-week programs teaching the campers about different health topics, things they need in real life and teaching them how to be active citizens. The camp lasts five weeks and meets for about an hour, 2-3 times a week. Annie said that she enjoys doing this because she likes to give back to the Cleveland community and help impact/shape Cleveland in a positive way.
Name: Joe Piskura
Hometown:Westlake, OH
How they give back:Father Joe Piskura is a retired Chaplain but that does not stop him from continuing to give back and volunteer. Father Joe currently volunteers at the Veterans treatment center downtown were he is mentor to both current and retired military personal who have fallen on hard times. Father Joe goes down to the Veterans Treatment Court and helps mentor the men and women and he helps the ones who are on probation and seek his advice and counsel to get back into the service or find alternative work. He is a resource and is available 24/7 to all the men and women at the Veterans Treatment Court.
Name: Trinity Coates
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
How they give back:
Trinity has been coming to National Youth Sports Program camp for three years now and travels here all the way from Atlanta, GA. Trinity loves coming to camp each year and interacting with the kids and making new friends during the process. While Trinity is at camp, she also volunteers in the kitchen making sure that the entire camp is properly fed and hydrated so that they can continue with their activities. When Trinity is not at camp she is still in the volunteering spirit. She started when she was younger by doing "lemonade day" with her dad where they make and sell lemonade in the community for her father's business. She also has recently started a business to mentor women into becoming entrepreneurs. When asked why Trinity continues to give back she said, "My dad always taught me to be a leader and not a follower, and I took that message and used it in volunteering with the community." Trinity continues to be a leader in the community.
Name: Taylor Forsythe
Hometown: Lyndhurst, OH
How they give back:
Similar to our earlier story, Taylor is also a senior nursing student from Case Western and is currently helping the NYSP Camp. Taylor and her friend Annie are currently in their second program this summer. They initially did a five week program in the beginning of the summer and have just started doing another health program. Taylor's main goal is to help teach the campers about healthy lifestyles and ways to take what they learned in camp and translate that to everyday situations. Taylor says that one of the great things about this camp is hearing the campers' stories and learning more about them as time goes on. Taylor loves to give back to the Cleveland community and is always looking for new opportunities to give back.
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 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**
