For Day 1 of the Browns First and Ten 10 Days of Giving, on December 4th, the Browns, in partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and News 5, hosted the annual Taste of the Browns event. Due to the pandemic, this year's event was a telethon presented by Nestle that highlighted the work of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank throughout the pandemic, featured Browns celebrities, an online auction and much more!
The Telethon kicked off on Friday during News 5's 4 p.m. newscast leading up to a special show hosted by Jon Doss and Nathan Zegura and featuring a variety of special guests, including Browns player Jarvis Landry, former Browns player Joe Thomas, owner Dee Haslam and Head Coach Stefanski. "Just having the opportunity to be on this team and be a part of this organization and be part of something more than football is important to me," Landry said of his involvement with the Food Bank. Landry has consistently been committed to the success of the Food Bank and is in his second year of serving as co-chair of the event.
In addition to the newscast, there was an online auction that featured Browns memorabilia including a Myles Garrett autographed jersey, Jarvis Landry autographed helmet, Baker Mayfield autographed football and more. At 7:30 p.m. on Friday night when the newscast ended, the Food Bank announced it had to open more phone lines due to the number of people calling and wanting to donate. Thanks to all of the generous donors, the Food Bank exceeded its goal of 500,000 meals.
The Browns thank everyone who tuned in and donated to the Food Bank, which has worked consistently since the start of the pandemic to feed more people than ever before in its 40-year history. One-third of people being served are turning to emergency food program for assistance for the first time ever. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 400,000 emergency kits have been distributed to people in need.
To learn more about the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's mission and the ways you can continue to #give10, visit their website here. To learn more about 10 Days of Giving, click here.
