Live Dungeons & Dragons fundraiser scores critical hit as Browns’ Myles Garrett joins the party

[In the player above, watch Cleveland Browns video of Myles Garrett describing his Dungeons & Dragons character at a 2022 charity event.]

CLEVELAND (WJW) — A fundraiser for critically ill children happening next weekend could mean an “athletics check” for Myles Garrett.

Not literally, but figuratively, as the Browns’ defensive end rolls the 20-sided die for charity in a Dungeons & Dragons game to be broadcast live on Saturday, June 29, from Southern Tier Brewing Company in downtown Cleveland.

Garrett, who’s no stranger to the tabletop role-playing game, is slated to join Brandon Tharp, an RPG content creator from Ohio, and former Browns running back turned gamemaster Johnny Stanton for “Crits for Casey Cares,” a live D&D game supporting the Casey Cares Foundation.

In Dungeons & Dragons, players improvise a story as they go, creating and playing as characters in a fantastical setting and using that character’s skills — like athletics — as well as their weapons, wizardry and wits to save the day.

During a 2022 live event raising funds for Red Nose Day, Garrett played as a chromatic black dragon samurai who “gets sacks and breaks backs,” he said.

“Critical thinking, thinking on your feet kind of coincides [with football],” Stanton said at the time. “I think what’s great about D&D is it can be an escape from football, which we can all use once in a while.”

All proceeds from Saturday’s event will go to the foundation, which funds year-round activities for critically ill children and their families, according to a news release. Last year, the foundation provided nearly 34,000 activities to more than 56,000 participants — about 16 activities every minute.

Representing the Casey Cares Foundation at Saturday’s event is teen Colton Hartraft, who was treated for embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma — a type of cancer that usually affects young children — and was declared cancer-free in December 2023.

The event is set for 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, at the brewery, 811 Prospect Avenue East.

Tickets start at $49 and audience members can donate more to affect the gameplay, according to the website, from $30 to give a player a health potion to $200 to add their own non-player character to the game.