Cleveland Browns' Players Team-up to Spread Holiday Cheer to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital

Online, December 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Cleveland Browns' Defensive Back Mike Adams and Linebacker, D'Qwell Jackson, joined forces for the Holidays to give back to some deserving youth. Although the players are not able to be there in person due to their work schedule, they made sure that some deserving in-patient youth at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation were able to enjoy some holiday cheer.

Mike Adams has been a supporter of the Cleveland Clinic since joining the Cleveland Browns in 2007. Each year Adams has enlisted the help of his teammates to partner with him. "When Mike told me about his yearly Gift Giving Program, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to do my part to bring a smile on a child's face during the Holidays," explained D'Qwell Jackson.

"We greatly appreciate the generosity of Mike and D'Qwell and can't emphasize enough how much this means to our patients," said Michael McHugh, medical director of Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation.

Ten children provided a wish list of gifts for Christmas including Elmo, dolls, stuffed animals, MP3 Players, store gift cards, clothes and toys. The ages range from 1 year old to 19 years old.

"I'm fortunate to be in a position to be a blessing to others. I look forward to spending time with the children each year. I admire their courage and strength in the midst of adversity," states Adams.

The players will schedule a time in the future to personally visit Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation. For more information and media inquiries, contact Maureen Nagg at Cleveland Clinic at 216.636.5876.

About Rising Stars Foundation
The Rising Stars Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by Mike "Pops" Adams and Gerald Hayes. These two professional football players are committed to changing the lives of the inner-city children in their native Paterson, New Jersey. The Rising Stars Foundation, Inc. provides academic, social, cultural, and life skills instruction and exposure for the kids who are most often "forgotten." The Rising Stars motto is "Reaching Back, While Moving Forward."

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