When RB Quinshon Judkins appeared from behind the curtains in the Kardiac Club at Huntington Bank Field, he was holding a cookie and a child rather than a football.
Dressed in a Cookie Monster onesie, Judkins walked down the runway holding Madelyn, dressed as a police officer, one of 19 children battling cancer who participated in the annual Cleveland Browns Halloween Fashion Show.
"I can't imagine the fights that they have in their everyday lives and these kids don't even know that they're heroes to me," Judkins said. "To see them fight each and every day and persevere and push through different things and still have a smile on their face every day, that helps me so much."
The Halloween Fashion Show, which is in its fourth year, benefits kids served by The Littlest Heroes and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's in celebration of the NFL's Crucial Catch initiative. The Littlest Heroes – a Cleveland-based nonprofit organization – provides emergency financial support for families battling pediatric cancer and other childhood illnesses. For the past 20 years, over 10,000 lives across Northeast Ohio have been impacted by the organization's assistance and efforts.
As part of the Browns' collaboration with The Littlest Heroes and University Hospitals, ten Browns players including Judkins, G Joel Bitonio C Ethan Pocic, LB Carson Schwesinger, WR Luke Floriea, K Andre Szmyt, WR Cedric Tillman, S Grant Delpit, TE David Njoku and T Cornelius Lucas attended the event. They dressed up and joined children on the runway in costumes. Pocic dressed as a pizza slice, while Njoku posed as Batman and Delpit wore a shark onesie. Each player and child had their name announced before they strutted down the runway and struck a pose at the end, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Bitonio has participated in the event for all four years. This year, he was paired with Brynlee, who was dressed as a butterfly, pairing well with Bitonio's caterpillar costume. As they reached the end of the runway, Bitonio and Brynlee each made a peace sign before walking back.
"The resilience and the fight these kids have is second to none," Bitonio said. "I have kids of my own and I couldn't imagine what some of these kids have gone through. So, to be here and to spend a little time with them and just give them a little bit of joy hopefully make a little bit of a difference. Their strength and their power is really special to us."
The Browns' partnership with University Hospitals and events like the Halloween Fashion Show is just one example of their dedication to serving children dealing with incredible challenges. The Browns' commitment to raising awareness and funds for cancer research is part of a league-wide effort under the Crucial Catch campaign, which was established in 2009.
"It's wonderful that we have so many amazing organizations here in our local community such as Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospitals and The Littlest Heroes," Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic said. "They are connected to families who need support and we are here to help make really memorable events for kids to be a part of."
The Halloween Fashion Show displayed that while the Browns' partnership with University Hospitals is significant for both organizations, it's also just as important for the children and families battling cancer. Alexa Geiger, the mom of Lilliana, who dressed as Princess Peach, said it made an impression on her to see the Browns out in the community.
"They could be on the field practicing or doing whatever they do in their normal day-to-day, but they were here and walking the runway and having dinner so for us it was really great," Geiger said.
Once the fashion show ended, the children were given tote bags to go trick-or-treating around the Kardiac Club. The players helped give out candy, as well as signed autographs and took photos. However, the stars of the show were the kids and their families.
"Since I've been here, Browns Give Back has done so much for the community," Bitonio said. "Events like this, you see kids in their costumes, and everyone wants to enjoy it. So, for us to come out here and spend a little time with them, it's a no-brainer. It's a great experience."
