CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
The Cleveland Browns may currently be in the midst of their offseason, but one of their top players is continuing to make a difference. On Monday, cornerback Denzel Ward's Make Them Know Your Name (MTKYN) Foundation announced that it has donated $150,000 to University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.
According to a press release, University Hospitals use the donation to launch a community education initiative surrounding heart health. Launched in 2019, Ward's foundation aims "to positively impact the heart disease epidemic, in part through providing CPR training, AED equipment and resources, and community education to emphasize the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle."
“I know first-hand what it is like to experience a loss due to a cardiac episode,” said Ward, whose father and former Carylwood Intermediate School in Bedford principal, Paul Ward Jr., died unexpectedly during a spin class in 2016.
“That’s why I’m so passionate about expanding outreach and education in this city that means so much to me, with hope of being able to expand our reach even further in the future.”
Added Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, President of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation: “To receive this type of support from Denzel and the Make Them Know Your Name Foundation means we can continue in our mission to improve the health of all people in Northeast Ohio. Through education and awareness we save lives."
Last week, Ward's foundation announced that it had donated three new automated external defibrillators (AED) to the Great Lakes Science Center. A product of Nordonia High School who went on to star at Ohio State, Ward is coming off of his second Pro Bowl season since being selected by his hometown Browns with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.