EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was in East Cleveland on Tuesday, handing out backpacks full of school supplies to 500 students in the district.
Sanders partnered with Chase Bank, the East Cleveland City School District, and Pizza Hut and its BOOK IT! Program to deliver 500 backpacks filled with school supplies, along with pizza and ice cream from Pammy’s Ice Cream, to Kirk Middle School and Caledonia Elementary School.
"I chose two schools in East Cleveland because I understand. I got a lot of people that have been telling me about the city, about the areas and everything, and I felt like, 'Why not?' I like going to different places a lot of people wouldn't go and show the positive side of things because if you just look online and stuff, you only see the negativity about parts of East Cleveland and different parts of Cleveland," Sanders said.
Watch previous coverage: 1-on-1 with Shedeur Sanders
Sanders signed items for some of the kids, gave plenty of high fives and hugs, and shared words of encouragement to the middle schoolers.
On one boy's backpack, Sanders wrote his signature "Be Legendary" messaging on it, and the boy was thrilled about the moment.
"I can't even describe what it means to me," the boy said, smiling.
For Sanders, the day was timed perfectly with September being Attendance Awareness Month, helping encourage the kids to go to school with the new supplies they received on Tuesday.
"I always believe in perfect timing. I believe in that truly, so I feel like it's never too late, the school year started, but maybe they needed a little bit more motivation to keep having great attendance and keep going. So I just want to give them a reminder that they are seen, they are heard, and they are felt," Sanders said.
Sanders spent his afternoon off with the kids, but also shared a message for other students around Northeast Ohio and beyond as the school year continues.
"It's extremely important just the discipline of getting up and going to do something you may not feel like doing. Sometimes you may not feel like doing a lot of things, even as adults we don't, but it's important. And the more good habits that you have, the more success you're going to have in the future by doing those small things. Everything's about doing the small things right—on the field, in life, everywhere in the world. As long as you keep doing right, then right will come. And God sees everything, so stay the course no matter what, no matter how you feel," Sanders said.
