#BeTheSolution

In the days after the tragic death of George Floyd, Cleveland Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry reached out to Browns employees with the intention of doing some good for a great cause.

In his email to staff members on June 5, 2020, he shared his frustration and sadness about Floyd's death, and recent tragedies involving Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

He expressed empathy and sympathy for coworkers who may be feeling the same way, and closed the email with a challenge. He said he would donate $8,460 in honor of George Floyd and other recent victims to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund if at least 50 employees did one of the following:

• Spend at least 8 minutes and 46 seconds (in honor of Floyd) on one of a number of educational or dialogue items provided in the email and submit a short written or video reflection on what they learned or will do moving forward
• Sign up for any social activism initiative
• Donate anything to a social activism cause

Within 24 hours, more than 50 employees had responded and taken the challenge. Inspired by this call to action, we pledged to match every dollar raised and contributed to the organizations of the employees' choice. As of June 8, 2020, Browns staff had raised $185,522.74 for 14 different charities.

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