It was a typical Tuesday evening practice at Humphrey Park on Cleveland's east side for 150 youth football players from the Cleveland Police Athletic League and Greater Cleveland Muny League.
As the youth football players ran through their drills, they noticed an unusual bus pulling up. This wasn't your typical bus; it was the Browns Fan Express, a 45 foot coach bus that looks more like a mobile Browns destination.
With everyone's focus turned towards the bus, off walked Browns DL Billy Winn, LB Chris Kirksey, QB Duke Johnson Jr. and DB Johnson Bademosi.
The players didn't come to watch the practice, they immediately jumped into drills and began having fun with the kids. "It brings me back to when I was little. Just to see the smiles on those faces and just to be able to motivate children at this age. It's a great feeling," said Chris Kirksey, Browns Linebacker.
The visit is part of the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign, the team's new community program, established to inspire fans to volunteer in and help their communities throughout the world by volunteering for 10 hours each year.
Browns players weren't the only role models on the field giving back, Cleveland Police Officers, including Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams, operate the Cleveland Police Athletic League (PAL), a youth football organization ran and coached by volunteer Cleveland Police Officers. PAL provides opportunities for children in the community to participate in positive wholesome sports and recreational and extracurricular activities, providing thousands of children between the ages of five and 21 with an alternative to life on the streets. To learn more about the Cleveland Police Athletic League, visit www.clevelandpal.org.
Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering 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. To learn how you can get involved, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/community/firstandten and share your stories by using the hashtag #give10.
