The NFL season has reached Week Three of its 2025 campaign, but the Browns Backers of Jamestown, NY have already reached Mid-Season form with what’s become a special day for us each third Sunday of the new season.

Tomorrow, at noon, the Backers of Jamestown will welcome to Waddington’s Tavern (and present donations totaling $2,500.00 to), representatives of six (five local) organizations dedicated to helping others make their communities better.

What’s become a huge part of our Mission Statement since 2009, the Backers of Jamestown has made a commitment to our county to do what we can to help area causes, charities, and/or organizations in their quest to help others through their philanthropic work in our area. We also donate to the Browns Foundation annually as this organization was established to help a number of chapters within Browns Backers Worldwide, by awarding $2,000.00 each year to each of three selected chapters to help them carry out their mission in helping their communities. In 2010 (our second season of making donations), our chapter was awarded one of those $2,000.00 donations for St. Susan Center.

The Browns Backers Worldwide, established in the 1980s, has grown to now include more than 300 individual chapters memberships across the United States and 14 other countries.

When the Organization began then, there were distance restrictions which made it impossible to have two chapters within a certain distance of each other. In the earlier days, Dunkirk had an approved charter membership. Some Browns fans in the South County participated in some of the activities sponsored by the North County Backers, (i.e. a Basketball Game at JCC featuring Browns players, and a dinner held at the end of another season featuring Browns receivers Clarence Weathers and “The Ice Cube,” Gerald McNeil.) We were all appreciative for the invitation to attend these events, and we thank “Froggy,” (I never knew his real name, everyone just called him, “Froggy”) for opening the events up for Browns Fans across the area. When the team left Cleveland for Baltimore after the “95 Season, then became an expansion franchise in ’99, the North County Backers did not apply for renewal and sadly, shortly after that “Froggy” passed away. When the team returned to Northeast, Ohio in “99, John Miraglia (R.I.P. , John) applied for a charter for the Browns Backers of Jamestown, NY, and we began, what has reached a 26 year charter membership in the Browns Backers Worldwide.

Our first viewing establishment was the Marco Polo Club of Jamestown. From there we were welcomed by Shaggy’s (Bemus Point), and when they closed, we found the open arms of Jim Mee at the Game Time Sports’ Bar and Grill, all places where we enjoyed gathering to watch Browns games each week. In 2013, we heard that Jeff Waddington (R.I.P, Jeff) was a huge Browns Fan and ran a Tavern on Main Street in Falconer, which was a little smaller and could be fairly exclusive to Browns and Bills fans, so after talking to Jim Mee and thanking him, we went down to talk to Jeff, and “made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.” (And he didn’t! Just kidding about the offer, though, as Jeff rolled out the Red Carpet for us, and we’ve been there ever since.) Since Jeff’s passing last year, his family has continued what Jeff started, which includes us and our mission.

At the beginning, we hosted more Browns Fans than dues members, but as time progressed, the number of dues members increased. (We even have members from the 216/440 who have property, and/or business ties, to Chautauqua County.) Last season, we set an all-time high for dues paying members. At the beginning of our time at “The Wadd,” when they didn’t have an operating kitchen, members signed up for a Sunday where they’d bring in a crockpot/casserole type meal and other members wound bring in snacks/desserts. We asked for a free will donation. That, along with dues, and a 50-50 raffle each week, began to make our treasury grow, so it was time to talk about what to do with that money.

That’s when the birth of Donation Sunday came about. Though not as formal as we do it now, it was/is always a highlight of our season. For a while now, we’ve been selling raffle tickets each year and soliciting prizes from members and community to raffle off with our chapter usually buying a Larger Screen TV as grand prize. We also have a Browns Rummage Rack in Waddington’s where people can bring in items, we price them and sell them to anyone wanting still wearable Browns shirts, jackets etc.

We’re proud of what we do as a Browns Backers Worldwide chapter despite our team’s record, since ’99. As you probably know, our once storied franchise, hasn’t done very well (including a 1-15, followed by an 0-16 season), we’ve started over 40 quarterbacks, and have only made the playoffs three seasons since returning from “The Move,” but the Browns Backers of Jamestown remain loyal to our team and our Mission. (Stop down, tomorrow and every week to see us in action.)

The Browns Backers of Jamestown, NY paid tribute to “Froggy” (Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.”), by holding three separate dinners (’20, ’22, ’24) where we featured former Browns Linebacker, Dave Graf (Dunkirk H.S./Penn State), Tight End/ Special Teams Player, Stephen Carlson (J.H.S/Princeton), Stephen’s H. S. Coach, Tom Langworthy, former Browns Lineman, George Lilja (Michigan), who was living and working in Warren until his recent retirement, and Linebacker/Special Teams Player, Ed Bettridge (Bowling Green), a player on the last Browns NFL Championship team of 1964. We were proud and happy to have put this together, and pattern it very much like Froggy’s soiree.

You can visit our website if you may be interested in our chapter at http://Browns-Backers-of-Jamestown-NY.Webstarts.com The following is part of our Mission Statement on that site:

“The Browns Backers of Jamestown has also donated money (500.00) each year to help support the Browns Backers Worldwide Grant Foundation, and has been annually donating 500.00 each to the St. Susan Center (center for the those in need to receive meals and other assistance) and A Fresh Start (division of the Alex G.G. Foulk Fund Drug Awareness and Prevention Program) in Jamestown. (The Fresh Start project is no longer operating, so we have made St. Susan the second cause which we contribute to annually.) The Backers also choose a third, fourth, and sometimes fifth charity each year to make another donation of $500.00. CONGRATULATIONS TO ST. SUSAN CENTER FOR BEING NAMED AS ONE OF THREE RECIPIENTS OF A $2000.00 GRANT FROM THE BROWNS FOUNDATION IN 2010. BACKERS OF JAMESTOWN REPRESENTATIVES SANDY WEIMER AND PAUL LOMBARDO WERE PRESENTED THE CHECK ON THE FIELD AT BROWNS STADIUM ON JANUARY 2ND, 2011 PRIOR TO THE BROWNS/STEELERS CONTEST. The third, fourth, and fifth donations over the years made by the Backers of Jamestown have included The Damon Janes Foundation for Sports Injury Research, Kevin’s Krusade. The Chautauqua County Veterans Agency, the Chautauqua County Humane Society, Fight for Seeley, (local Sheriff’s Deputy who lost his fight with leukemia), Team Smags (Suicide Awareness), Jamestown Area Child Advocacy Program, the Jamestown Area Meals on Wheels, Finn’s Fund, Kallie’s Krusade, the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame (Program Ads), Exceptional Stars Athletics, UCAN Mission, A.J. Strong Foundation, Jamestown Area Kidney Foundation, the Stephanis Frucella Scholarship Fund, and B.E. Strong 716, all local charities/causes/groups/organizations earmarked by the Backers of Jamestown for support. Last year along with our annual donations to The Browns Foundation and The St. Susan Center, the Backers made donations of 500.00 to Collaborative Children’s Solutions, The Jack Waddington Fund, and 250.00 to The Allen Park Women’s Club, Finn’s Furever Feline Rescue (a local business started by a 12 year old young man who, with his mother in their home, do whatever to help cats receive care and affection, and a possible home in their community.)” This season we will be donating to the Browns Foundation and St. Susan Center again, along with the Jamestown Winter Warming Center, Arise Chautauqua, Small Town Shelter, and Joy. Fellowship.”

Anyone interested in donating prize(s) or buying raffle tickets can find contact information on our website.