United Way of Greater Cleveland partnered with Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns on August 18 for the second annual Back-to-School event for Cleveland-area students.
The event, which was held at Cleveland Browns Stadium, welcomed students, parents, and guardians from Building Hope in the City for lunch, the opportunity to meet Garrett and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, and head home with a backpack filled with school essentials, including folders, pencils, clothing, hygiene products, and snacks.
Setting up the students for success in the new academic year is a key component of the event, according to Kenneth Surratt, United Way’s Chief Community Investment Officer.
“There’s no greater investment that we can make in the community than our children … they are the future,” Surratt told wkyc.com. “If they start off on the right foot academically, that’s going to lead to better life outcomes, and that’s what we want for our kids.”
Bibb echoed Surratt’s comments and credited Garrett’s involvement for helping make the event a success.
“It just gives me so much pride as mayor to see Myles Garrett have a huge heart for Cleveland and a huge heart for Cleveland’s kids,” Bibb told News 5 Cleveland. “It’s more than just a backpack filled with school supplies—it gives them motivation, it gives them hope, and it gives them a broader sense of what their possibilities are as young people in our city. Their smiles just made my whole day.”
This is the second year that Garrett and United Way of Greater Cleveland have partnered on the event, and Garrett is hopeful that it will continue to grow in the future.
“We can keep on growing support by getting more and more communities involved and having the sponsors loving and appreciating this idea,” Garrett told wkyc.com. “We can continue to help this next generation thrive and do great things and have a better future.”
In addition to Garrett; United Way of Greater Cleveland; and Browns Give Back, the team’s community relations department, the event was supported by:
- The J.M. Smucker Company
- Cleveland Browns
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Layr Official
- Municipal Apparel
- Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere
- Really Amazing Food Truck
- Gatorade
- Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water
- Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar of Kent
- Sarchione Auto Gallery
- Gentlemen’s Cave Luxury Barber Lounge
- University Hospitals
- Procter & Gamble
Thank you to everyone for helping students from Building Hope in the City start the new school year with some resources to set them up for success.
To learn more about the event, please visit:
- Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett teams up with United Way to get kids back-to-school supplies (WKYC)
- Browns DE Myles Garrett supports kids with back-to-school event (News 5 Cleveland)
- Myles Garrett hosts back-to-school kickoff event (Fox 8)
- Myles Garrett hosts back-to-school event at Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland Browns)
