Browns, Marines host Browns Give Back First and Ten Toy Drive in Week 14 (12.10.21)

For Immediate Release

Dec. 10, 2021

BEREA, Ohio – As part of Day 6 of “10 Days of Giving,” the Cleveland Browns and local Marines will host their annual Browns Give Back First and Ten Toy Drive, presented by Electronic Merchant Systems, 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 Electronic Merchant Systems volunteers will collect items and monetary contributions at FirstEnergy Stadium gates as fans enter the stadium beginning at 11 a.m.

To launch this year’s toy drive, the Browns and Electronic Merchant Systems have begun collecting items at their respective offices to help deserving kids celebrate their holiday season. Additionally, Electronic Merchant Systems once again will make a generous $5,000 contribution as part of their commitment to the initiative.

The Browns, Electronic Merchant Systems and Cleveland fans have previously collected more than $70,000, plus more than 15,000 toy donations for local youth during the holidays through the Browns Give Back First and Ten Toy Drive from 2017-2019.

Throughout “10 Days of Giving,” spanning Dec. 7-16, Browns players, coaches and staff will participate in special community events and make meaningful contributions to deserving organizations or individuals as part of the team’s yearlong commitment to promoting education and youth football, as well as inspiring others through its signature First and Ten volunteering movement.

In addition to the toy drive during the Browns-Ravens game, Day 6 will feature on-field recognition of CB Denzel Ward as the team’s 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year, the announcement of the 2021 Cleveland Browns High School Coach of the Year and Browns players promoting significant community initiatives through the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign.

The Browns are once again hosting their annual “10 Days of Giving” as they strive to lift spirits of those in need throughout Northeast Ohio during the holiday season. The community engagement program, initially inspired by the Browns’ signature #give10 First and Ten volunteer movement, fully encompasses the team’s dedication to education and combatting chronic absenteeism in Ohio through the Stay in the Game! Keep Learning, Every Day Network, its focus on enhancing youth and high school football throughout the state and its commitment to addressing social justice issues.

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 Stay in the Game! Keep Learning, Every Day Network. The Stay in the Game! Network is a statewide initiative designed to promote the importance of school attendance and put an end to chronic absenteeism. The team engages local school districts 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. In the 2021-22 school year, the Stay in the Game! Network will partner with 16 school districts, benefitting more than 110,000 students in Ohio. An adaptation of the Get 2 School, Stay In The Game! Network, the name change reflects the current environment where schools may not necessarily be able to host in-school learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter the circumstances, the Stay in the Game! Network will continue to encourage and support students to maintain a strong educational-going mindset to keep learning, every day, aligned with its overall goal to help end chronic absenteeism and provide all students equal opportunities to be successful. To learn more visit, visit SITGNetwork.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, more than 2.75 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.

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