The Cleveland Browns and local Marines will host their annual Browns Give Back First and Ten Toy Drive, presented by Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS), to benefit Toys for Tots at FirstEnergy Stadium prior to Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
During the Browns Give Back First and Ten Toy Drive, Browns fans are encouraged to bring new unwrapped gifts ($10+) for kids in need within Cuyahoga County. US Marine Corps and EMS volunteers will collect items and monetary contributions at FirstEnergy Stadium gates as fans enter the stadium beginning at 11 a.m.
EMS once again will launch the toy drive through a generous $5,000 contribution to further help in providing many deserving Northeast Ohio children with a memorable holiday.
The Browns Give Back First and Ten Toy Drive will mark Day 6 of this year's annual "10 Days of Giving" initiative. In addition to the Toy Drive on Sunday, look for celebrations for Man of the Year, My Cause, My Cleats and Cleveland Browns High School Coach of the Year. On each day of "10 Days of Giving," spanning Dec. 7-16, Browns players, coaches and staff will host unique community events and make special contributions to various organizations during the holiday season as part of the team's yearlong commitment to education, youth football and inspiring others through its signature First and Ten volunteering movement.
Fans who make a donation at FirstEnergy Stadium will receive an orange #give10 wristband for their support of the First and Ten campaign.
In addition to game day collection, Browns fans can also drop off toys throughout the week at Browns Fit and the EMS office in Tower City.
About the Cleveland Browns and Browns Give Back: The Browns Give Back to Northeast Ohio with a commitment to education and youth football while engaging the community through the team's signature First and Ten volunteer movement. For more information, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/brownsgiveback.
Education – The Cleveland Browns are dedicated to improving the quality of education for students in Ohio by making investments that keep kids in school every day so they can succeed, highlighted by the "Get 2 School, Stay in the Game!" Network. The "Get 2 School" Network is a statewide initiative designed to promote the importance of school attendance and put an end to chronic absenteeism. The team engages local schools and promotes quality education by using attendance data and feedback from families to build a school-going culture, uncover and reduce common barriers to attendance and support engagement opportunities for students to thrive. To learn more, visit Get2School.org.
Youth Football– The Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth and high school football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns' goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
First and Ten – Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's community program, established to inspire fans to #give10 and help their communities by volunteering for 10 hours each year. 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 date, nearly two million hours of volunteering have been pledged through First and Ten. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team's website and by sharing their stories with #give10.
About Electronic Merchant Systems:
Since 1988, Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS) has helped business owners realize their full potential and grow their financial well-being. Today, EMS is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with offices and agents coast to coast servicing tens of thousands of retail, internet and start-up businesses nationwide. By providing an innovative suite of business solutions and high-quality service, EMS has become a leading provider of payment processing and merchant services.
