Jarvis Landry grabbed a pair of packaged turkeys and smiled as he turned toward a recipient's car, deposited the food in the trunk and wished them a Happy Thanksgiving.
Landry, the Browns' eight-year veteran wide receiver, was lending a hand in his second annual Jarvis Landry Thanksgiving Food Drive, a drive-through food distribution that helped provide turkey, milk and other produce to over 1,000 households Tuesday at Parma Senior High School.
A line of cars snaked through the parking lot and overflowed through the street outside the school as people awaited to receive their meals, made possible by volunteers from the Jarvis Landry Building Winners Foundation and Greater Cleveland Food Bank. The food drive was one of the staple activities created by Landry's foundation and highlights the spirit Landry has for giving back to Northeast Ohio during the holiday season.
"The holidays are something special," Landry said. "It's about family and being able to come out here and give back to this community. That's something I've always done, and it means a lot to me as well."
Landry was also joined by fellow teammates Sheldon Day, Malik Jackson and David Njoku, who helped other volunteers in passing out the meals and danced and waved as the long line of cars moved through the lot.
The sights of hundreds of cars awaiting their meals, the smiles of people who received their food and had a chance to say hello to Browns players felt even more special to Landry, who wasn't able to attend the event last year due to protocols from the pandemic.
"I'm happy to be out here this time and be a part of the actual product," Landry said. "I've always enjoyed the holidays. My birthday is Nov. 28, and always falls around Thanksgiving, too, so it's always a special time for me, my family and friends."
The annual event has become a staple of Landry's Building Winner's Foundation, a non-profit foundation created in 2020 dedicated to positively impacting the lives of children and families facing socioeconomic disparities and/or chronic health conditions. The growth of the food drive, which donated 300 meals last year and saw a significant increase in meals served in 2021, showcases just how much progress the foundation has been able to make.
"It's about just seeing where we can leave an impact and seeing where we can make a difference," Landry said. "Obviously, the holidays are an opportunity to do something special and give out to the community. It all means a lot."
