The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Haslams donating toward COVID-19 fight
The Haslam 3 Foundation is pledging $1 million to the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund and $500,000 to the Columbus Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund.
Jimmy and Dee Haslam have been active in the Cleveland community since buying the Browns in 2012, and now they are joining the fight against the novel coronavirus.
The Haslam 3 Foundation is pledging $1 million to the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund and $500,000 to the Columbus Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund.
In addition to owning the Browns, the Haslam Sports Group also owns and operates the Columbus Crew SC of Major League Soccer.
“We are humbled by the tremendous work of people around the world in their efforts to help those impacted by COVID-19 and we wanted to try to positively impact those affected in our own communities of Cleveland and Columbus,” Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “We are grateful for the individuals who are putting others before themselves and for the sacrifices they are making.”
The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund works in conjunction with public health officials and expands local capacity to address all aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible. The fund will provide grant awards on a rolling basis to nonprofit organizations in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, according to a news release.
The Columbus Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund assists non-profit organizations that experience financial challenges responding to the spread of COVID-19.
Focus on Jimmy and Dee Haslam usually centers on how the Browns have failed on the football field under their leadership. They have fired six head coaches and five general managers since 2012. The Browns are 3394-1 in the eight years the Haslams have owned the team.
The Haslams, though, have had a very positive impact on Northeast Ohio through the Cleveland Browns Foundation’s Browns Give Back program with a focus on education, youth football and a First and Ten volunteer outreach.
Dee Haslam has made “Get 2 School” a primary project with the goal of keeping Cleveland students in school.
According to information provided by the Browns, students who are absent a minimum of 18 days a school year are 88.5 percent less likely to graduate. Working in conjunction with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, student absences have been reduced by 22 percent, according to the Browns, resulting in 4,100 students improving attendance and increasing the likelihood of graduating.
The Browns have provided 8,000 clothing packages to students to remove the lack of uniforms as an attendance-related barrier. Recorded motivational messages from Browns players remind students to “Get 2 School” every day.
The “Get 2 School” program branched out to a state-wide campaign last summer.