As the Browns prepared to face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in Week 10 of the 2025 season, about 25 miles away, Bob Den Bleyker and the Browns Backers of North Jersey hosted the official Backers Bash.
Centered around a catered tailgate with food and games, visiting Browns fans and local members with their families shared in the gameday experience. Visiting Browns fans and local members also received a special visit from former Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, who spent time signing autographs and taking photos to create a memorable experience for those in attendance.
"Everything was just fantastic," Den Bleyker said. "And everybody just had a blast. I mean, it was just so much fun. We had families there. We're playing cornhole, playing music, it was just a lot of fun. The whole thing around the Jets game was probably the highlight of the season."
The Backers Bash was one of the many events the Browns Backers of North Jersey held throughout the year, hosting watch parties for each Browns game throughout the 2025 season and other events to raise money for various charities.
The Browns officially announced the Browns Backers of North Jersey as the 2025 Browns Backers Chapter of the Year awarded by Browns Backers Worldwide. The award is given to a chapter that embodies its passion for Browns' fandom in their corner of the world, while also participating in influential charitable efforts.
The award is officially voted by the Presidents Leadership Council, which consists of the top 10 chapter presidents, and an internal vote from the Browns. This year, there were over 350 chapters a part of Browns Backers in 12 countries.
"My whole goal (when I became president) was I really wanted to win it," Den Bleyker said. "It was just continuing to grow the chapter, try to do more stuff for charity, try to be more innovative and get people to be engaged during the games. So, I was trying to be really positive, and every year we've grown."
The North Jersey chapter was first established in 1992, and over its 33 years, has been a staple for local Browns fans. Den Bleyker first became involved with the chapter around 2005, learning of the club when the Browns faced the Giants during the 2004 season after meeting members in the parking lot at the previous Giants Stadium. From there, his involvement evolved, helping to run the chapter's website for numerous years and working closely with former presidents.
Den Bleyker became the chapter president in 2022, and since then has continued to grow the club's presence in North Jersey through its member size and its charitable efforts. He said their chapter has about 67 members, including a number of families with their children involved in the chapter alongside their parents.
The chapter has also increased their charitable donations by about $5,000 each year he has been President, raising about $15,000 in donations during 2025. Over the course of the year, the Browns Backers of North Jersey are involved in philanthropic efforts that touch a variety of areas – many of which have personal ties to members of the chapter.
"When I became President, that was my main thing, I wanted to support the charities," Den Bleyker said. "I wanted to give back to the club, obviously, which we do. But it's all about the charities."
Their flagship fundraising event, the "Angry Open" Golf Outing, occurs annually in June, and benefits charities supported by Browns Backers of North Jersey. In its fourth year, the outing grew in both participation and sponsorship, with 69 golfers and 26 sponsors supporting the event and the chapter.
During the summer of 2025, one of the member families of the chapter tragically lost a grandson to Trisomy 18, a rare genetic condition that causes severe developmental and medical challenges. Browns WR Jerry Jeudy has also supported Trisomy 18 in previous seasons during the NFL league-wide initiative My Cause My Cleats in honor of his younger sister. While in attendance at the Presidents' Summit, Den Bleyker won an autographed Jeudy mini helmet, which the chapter raffled off with an autographed football donated by the Browns – raising over $750 for Trisomy 18.
Den Bleyker had a relative's son who developed a brain tumor at a young age and was unable to participate in sports. So, in September 2025, they participated in the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation Walk, raising $1,351. Their ongoing partnership with the organization was further recognized when the Browns Backers of North Jersey received the 2025 Vision of Hope Award.
They also held their annual 9/11 Tunnels to Towers Raffle during the opening week of the season to support the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, honoring first responders and military heroes.
Den Bleyker's father passed away from Alzheimer's Disease, so the club participated in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's, raising $6,730 in October 2025. During the same month, the club also made a $1,618 donation to the Cleveland Browns Foundation, representing an increase from their 2024 contribution and reinforcing our continued support of the Browns' official charitable initiatives.
This season also brought a special connection to the Browns as the family of S Ronnie Hickman joined the Browns Backers of North Jersey chapter. In support of Hickman's nonprofit Fourteen21 Cares, which focuses on youth development and community support, the club donated $600 to the organization's "Together We Feast" Thanksgiving initiative. In addition to the financial contribution, four club members volunteered to help pack more than 150 Thanksgiving meal boxes for families in need.
Beyond monetary donations, the chapter also prioritized food insecurity relief. This year, they donated over 737 pounds of food to the Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris County, New Jersey over the course of the year.
All of their charitable efforts allowed the Browns Backers of North Jersey to become a 501(c)(3) organization – a goal of Den Bleyker's to achieve to further highlight the charitable contributions of the chapter.
"It's opened a lot of doors," Den Bleyker said. "Some of the members of our club, they make a donation to our club, and they get matched by their work. So sometimes it's double, so it's great."
Now, the Browns Backers of North Jersey chapter will be honored for their efforts in the community and commitment to supporting the Browns' fanbase in North Jersey with a party on March 28 to celebrate the recognition.
"From game-day energy to year-round community impact, the Browns Backers of North Jersey set the standard for what a Browns Backers chapter can be," Chief Marketing Officer Brent Rossi said. "They are absolutely deserving of this recognition, and we're proud to celebrate their incredible work."
