City of Cleveland children guided shopping carts around the aisles of Meijer, with Browns players by their sides helping them pick out gifts and decide what they wanted for the holidays.
G Joel Bitonio welcomed 65 children from the City of Cleveland Recreation Centers at his annual "Shop with a Pro" event at Meijer in Avon on Dec. 8, as the Browns continued their "Month of Giving." Each child received a $150 Meijer gift card to spend on holiday presents for themselves and their families, courtesy of monetary donations from Bitonio and Meijer.
"First off, I want to thank Browns Give Back and Meijer for partnering with me and making this possible," Bitonio said. "The kids were excited, and we were kind of helping them trying to figure out what they want, but it's a great event."
Bitonio and his wife Courtney volunteered at the event, along with 14 of his Browns teammates including TE Brenden Bates, LB Devin Bush, G Jack Conley, G Garrett Dellinger, DT Shelby Harris, T Teven Jenkins, RB Quinshon Judkins, T KT Leveston, LB Winston Reid, G Wyatt Teller, LB Nathaniel Watson, TE Blake Whiteheart, C Luke Wypler and G Zak Zinter.
"It's amazing. I think this is probably the most attended one we've had," Bitonio said. "It's really special. The kids are excited to get gifts but to meet some of these players is pretty special, so I appreciate the help and it's really awesome to see."
Kids were put into groups and paired with a Browns player who helped them shop for the holidays. As they walked around the store looking for what to buy, memories were fostered through the conversations and experience of being with a Browns player.
"I can't even begin to express our appreciation for the Cleveland Browns," manager of Recreation at the City of Cleveland Jennifer Ryba said. "The partnership, this event that Joel has been doing for many years now, with his teammates, and they're just a blessing. They shop around with the kids, they walk around, they have patience, they try to encourage kids, they have banter with the kids back and forth about the game or what's going on in the kid's life. It's just a real opportunity for them to connect with one another."
Browns players and the kids talked about how to spend their $150. While some kids knew what they wanted, Bitonio and his teammates helped others figure out what they wanted for the holidays. By the end of the event, footballs, video game controllers and clothes, among other items, filled the shopping carts. Players helped Meijer team members check out the loaded carts and bag items while kids waited to take their presents home.
"I think this event is like a unity, bringing everybody together in the community," Meijer Avon Store Director Michael Jodrey said. "These kids are from all over and that's just something that we've been committed to year after year. It's our sixth year of hosting this. Joel does a great job. His family does a great job, and he has a lot of people that come out and support him, and we're just happy to be able to host it."
Bitonio took over "Shop with a Pro" from former Browns T Joe Thomas after Thomas retired in 2017, with this year being Bitonio's eighth hosting the event. Over that time, the tradition has continued to grow and become a staple of the Browns' community efforts each December. The evening not only gives children a memorable experience but also showcases the commitment from the Browns in supporting families across Northeast Ohio.
"This week the Cleveland Browns kicked off our Month of Giving, and tonight is one example of what the players are doing here in the greater Cleveland area to give back to the local community," Browns Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic said.
Browns players, alumni, coaches, staff members, partners and fans participate in the "Month of Giving" presented by Goodwill, which is an organizational tradition that allows individuals to make impactful contributions to deserving individuals and organizations as part of the Browns' commitment to advancing education, youth football and equitable opportunities.
Follow @BrownsGiveBack and clevelandbrowns.com/community/month-of-giving for updates on "Month of Giving."
