BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns on Wednesday will launch First and Ten, the club's signature global community platform based on volunteering, during the 2014 rookie class' first community visit, at Grindstone Elementary School.
The Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's new community program, established to inspire fans to volunteer in and help their communities throughout the world. With the creation of First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to start a long-term volunteer 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.
Charged by the Dawg Pound and Browns Backers Worldwide, which has clubs in more than 10 countries, the Browns and their fans can continue to improve lives by committing time to make a difference.
"First and Ten will strengthen our community involvement in Northeast Ohio and around the country, uniting our team and tremendous fans through volunteerism," said Browns Owner and President of the Cleveland Browns Foundation Dee Haslam. "Browns fans are passionate, loyal and supportive, and those traits will further allow us to positively influence our respective communities with this unique initiative."
All Browns fans throughout the world are encouraged to log onto ClevelandBrowns.com/community and pledge to give 10 hours of community service. The team, with the help of its dedicated fans, aims to compile more than 500,000 service hours within the next year through sign-ups online and during year-round Browns events, including training camp, gameday, regular community visits and more.
The Browns have enhanced partnerships with many local and national organizations to accomplish this feat, including Achievement Centers for Children, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, The Centers for Families and Children, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, United Way of Greater Cleveland, USA Football and USO of Northern Ohio.
Whether through doing kind deeds for an individual or working with any chosen charitable group, the Browns want to help fans influence their communities, just as those fans help the team's performance on the field. Participants also may extend their outreach to other regions, including through support of our troops overseas, mission trips and countless opportunities outside of the United States.
While there are countless formal non-profit organizations, many of which the Browns, coaches and players support throughout the year, fans can also #give10 and make a significant difference through everyday gestures of goodwill, including helping a neighbor, mentoring a young person or supporting anyone in personal need.
Fans can tweet @Browns and @BrownsGiveBack to share their stories of how they #give10 in their hometowns. The Browns also will highlight notable participants throughout the year on the team's website, through social-media accounts and during home games this season.
When deciding to #give10 during a Browns event, supporters will be given an orange bracelet to signify their involvement and help connect individuals devoted to the volunteering cause.
The Browns initiated First and Ten during a school visit to align with the franchise's community mission of inspiring and leading excellence through education, youth development and civic-activation platforms. Browns President Alec Scheiner, the 2014 rookie class, staff and students pledged to #give10, while also brainstorming creative ways that they could assist people in need throughout the year, particularly as students prepare for the summer.
For more information, visit ClevelandBrowns.com/community. Remember to follow @BrownsGiveBack for the latest Browns community news, photos and more.*
