As Kieauntee Newell and her three kids walked into the fieldhouse at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, three Big Fig mattresses sat in front of them.
They could only choose one type of mattress, so how would they pick? Simple – by giving each mattress the jump test and consulting NFL All-Pro DE Myles Garrett for his opinion.
On Dec. 23, Garrett, the Browns and Big Fig partnered to give the Newell family six new mattresses ahead of the holidays, one for each member of the family. As Newell weighed her decision, her two girls jumped on each mattress and tested them out while Garrett and Newell's son watched. Her son then joined in with his sisters and Garrett came over to play with the three kids, as well as helping them decide which type of mattress they liked the best.
"It's definitely very meaningful because it's hard for a lot of families so when people think of us, it is very important and it is very helpful no matter if it's big or small. We need it," Newell said.
The Browns, Garrett and Big Fig began their partnership in August 2025. Big Fig is a Cleveland-based mattress company that proudly manufactures its products locally and employs Cleveland residents. Big Fig stepped in along with the Browns to give back to the Cleveland community during the holiday season.
"It feels really good this time of year to give back to the community and be able to take our product that provides such a core need of just better sleep to a family that really needs that and be able to sleep comfortably through the holiday season," Big Fig marketing director Lindsy Argenti said. "Myles is a great guy. I think he has been a personality and a media guy for a long time and that's really cool, but he is also very human, and you can tell he loves kids and loves this community and is very dedicated to it."
The Newell family was chosen through Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Project ACT initiative. Project ACT provides direct instructional and support services to children and youth residing in temporary emergency shelters, transitional housing and doubled-up students staying with other families due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar situations.
The Browns and Project ACT have partnered for five years to support students academically and for four years on holiday initiatives.
"They'll remember this probably to the day they leave this earth," Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Project ACT life skill coach Samona Johnson said. "They don't understand exactly who he is magnitude-wise, but I have support and wraparound services of the Browns and Myles Garrett in particular to come down and personally meet them."
For Newell and her children, the mattress provided additional support for their family during a challenging time. For the Browns and Garrett along with Big Fig and Project ACT, it was an opportunity to directly meet one of the families they aim to support and see the impact of those efforts firsthand.
"It's a luxury that we should all have being able to sleep in our own beds, sleep on a comfortable bed," Garrett said. "The holiday season is all about giving. I'm just glad Big Fig is a part of that, thinking of people who are less fortunate and don't always have that privilege. I want to be able to work with brands who are willing to do that and think about people, big or small, who are more or less fortunate. And so just having that eye, having that sense of awareness, that's something I can appreciate and something I hope we can continue to work on."
The mattress donation was a part of the Browns' "Month of Giving," an annual tradition dedicated to uplifting spirits across Northeast Ohio during the holiday season. 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."
