American Football Without Barriers (AFWB), a nonprofit created by former Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, former Super Bowl champion offensive tackle Breno Giacomini, and Yum Brands engineer Ahmed Awadallah, to teach American football to men, women and children around the world, will host its seventh-annual football camp February 23-24 at the König-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

Barnidge will lead a contingent of current and former NFL players to Germany that includes quarterbacks Brett Hundley (Seattle Seahawks) and Kevin Hogan (Denver Broncos), retired running backDeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers) and tight end Jordan Cameron (Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins), wide receiver Cam Meredith (New Orleans Saints), offensive linemen Ben Garland and Alex Mack (both of the Atlanta Falcons), fullback Roosevelt Nix (Pittsburgh), tight end Austin Hooper (Atlanta), defensive linemen Jabaal Sheard (Indianapolis) and Vernon Butler (Carolina), linebacker Barkevious Mingo (Seattle) and defensive backs Chris Milton, Mathias Farley, Nate Hairston and Kenny Moore (all of Indianapolis).

The seventh-annual AFWB Football Camp is completely FREE and it is open to men, women and children of all ages and experience levels. Two camps and a coaching clinic will take place each day on Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24.

In addition, an all-day autograph signing is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 22 from 11 am – 7 pm at the Centro Mall in Oberhausen.

For gaming fans, an EA Sports Madden Football Tournament will take place in-between camp sessions at König-Pilsener-Arena on both Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24, and on Saturday, the 23^rd, the first-ever combined meeting of NFL German Fan Clubs will take place at the Centro Mall in Oberhausen. Fan clubs set to attend include the German Birdgang Cardinals, Miami DolFans Germany, Niner Empire Germany, Steelers Nation Germany, Denver Broncos Germany, Cowboysnation Germany, Cincinnati Bengals Fans Germany, German Titans, 49ers Germany, German Seahawkers e.v., Minnesota Vikings fans Germany e.v., Carolina Panthers Germany, German Indianapolis Colts Fans as well as fan clubs representing the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.

In total, the AFWB contingent will spend nine days in Germany from February 20-28.

AFWB’s contingent will arrive in Dusseldorf on Wednesday, Feb. 20. On Thursday, Feb. 21, AFWB will participate in a community event in conjunction with the Gerald Asamoah Foundation. Asamoah is a former German soccer player from Ghana who suffers from a heart condition, hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy, and now runs a foundation which supports children with heart disease.

On Sunday, Feb. 24, AFWB will attend the Borussia Dortmund soccer match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the players will meet American soccer sensation Christian Pulisic following the match.

The AFWB contingent is scheduled to travel to Munich on Monday, Feb. 25 where the group is scheduled to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle and the Dachau Concentration Camp. The group will also travel to Austria and spend time in Salzburg and Flachau before returning to the States on Feb. 28.

American Football Without Barriers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to globalizing American football and reaching underprivileged communities with a humanitarian message. In addition to international camps, AFWB hosts several camps in the U.S. aimed at teaching underprivileged kids to play American football. Germany will join China (2013), Brazil (2014), Turkey (2015), Egypt (2016), Finland (2017) and Portugal (2018) as international countries that have hosted AFWB camps. To learn more about American Football Without Barriers, please visit http://afwbcamp.com/.

Looking beyond 2019, AFWB is currently accepting applications for countries interested in hosting a camp in 2020. For more information about hosting an AFWB camp, visit http://afwbcamp.com/ or email camp director Todd Buelow at director@afwbcamp.com. Applications are due by May 30, 2019.

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American Football Without Barriers (AFWB) to hold  sixth-annual football camp in Portugal

American Football Without Barriers (AFWB), a nonprofit created by former Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, Houston Texans tackle Breno Giacomini and Yum Brands engineer Ahmed Awadallah, to teach American football to men, women and children around the world, will host its sixth-annual football camp March 10-11 in Algarve, Portugal.

Barnidge will lead a contingent of 15 current and former NFL players who will split time between Lisbon and the Algarve region in Portugal. The list of additional players scheduled to attend includes former Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed; Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch; former Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams; Indianapolis Colts defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Jabaal Sheard; Colts defensive backs Chris Milton and Matthias Farley; Browns quarterback Kevin Hogan; Atlanta Falcons guard Ben Garland; New England Patriots defensive back Johnson Bademosi; Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix and tight end Xavier Grimble; Texans quarterback Josh Johnson, and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints fullback Erik Lorig.

This year’s AFWB camp is being hosted by the Algarve Sharks, a member of the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano (LPFA). Algarve is currently in the early stages of raising funds to build Europe’s first-ever American-football-only stadium and Portugal will join China (2013), Brazil (2014), Turkey (2015), Egypt (2016) and Finland (2017) as countries that have hosted AFWB camps.

The sixth-annual AFWB Football Camp is completely FREE and it is open to men, women and children of all ages and experience levels. For more information or to register for the camp, visit http://afwbcamp.com/ or contact Todd Buelow, the director of the AFWB camps at director@afwbcamp.com or (704) 458-2119.

“We are honored to have NFL players take time out of their busy offseason to come spread American football across Portugal,” said Algarve Sharks Coach Lance Heron. “It is the first time we can remember this many NFL players coming to our country. We feel blessed they are willing to commit their time to grow American football as well as highlight Portugal’s nonprofits that are doing great work in our community.”

“It is our mission to visit countries where the NFL has not invested heavily to help grow the sport,” added Barnidge. “It’s a great privilege to use our platform as current and former NFL players to help grow the sport we love, as well as use the media exposure to highlight nonprofits that are helping to improve the lives of future generations.”

In total, the AFWB contingent will spend eight days in Portugal from March 7-14. The group will be in Lisbon for various activities March 7-8 and 13-14, and in Algarve for the camps March 9-12. A number of community events have been embedded in the group’s schedule, including a visit to a NATO air base, a visit with victims of the deadly 2017 wildfires that ravaged Portugal, and a visit to a Portuguese orphanage and home for neglected children. The actual football camps will take place March 10-11 in Faro, the capital of Portugal’s Algarve region. There will be a total of five sessions, including a coaching clinic.

The 2018 AFWB football camp is presented by lead sponsors TAP Air Portugal and Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort. Additional partners include The Algarve Sharks, The U.S. Embassy Portugal and Sport TV. Supporting sponsors include Tivoli Hotels and Resorts, AlgarExperience, Fundacao Luso Americano, Jambo Athletic, GridironMVP Bionutrients and Spikes Restaurant in Bale do Lobo. AFWB team sponsors include BeastMode Apparel and The DeAngelo Williams Foundation.

“We are fortunate that so many great brands recognize the impact we are having on lives across the world,” explained Giacomini. “It is because of these generous sponsors that we are able to conduct free American football camps around the world and bring attention to the many nonprofits that serve these amazing countries we visit.”

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Day 6 in Cairo – Oday Aboushi

Day 5 Cairo, Egypt – Lorig

Day 4 – Jordan and Colby Cameron

Third Day in Cairo – Marshawn Lynch

Hey everybody, DeAngelo Williams here. Day 2 Cairo, Egypt. AFWB. Having a great time in this city so far. We got to eat lunch at the highest point in the city in the Cairo Tower to start the day. Not sure about that ride up though. 7 NFL players weren’t meant to fit in one elevator! But that view was worth it. Couldn’t quite see the pyramids, but you could see just about everything else.

After lunch, we went to the Egyptian Museum to check out all the crazy treasures found in the pyramids and throughout Egypt. Can’t believe how many amazing artifacts they have in that place! (No Pictures Allowed Though!)

Our tour guides and the Egyptian people have been so great to us everywhere we go. Traffic gets crazy though on the roads. Never seen anything like it! You gotta be brave to drive these streets.

But now it’s time for a nap and a late dinner. Gotta be ready for these upcoming camps and charity events! See you later football fans, keep checking here for more blog posts, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates on our awesome trip!

– DeAngelo Williams, 34

Egypt Day 1 with Gary Barnidge

First day in Cairo, Egypt with @AFWB was great. Love the food and history of this city. First stop of the day was the Great Pyramid. I’d already been once before, but I’ve always been fascinated by Egyptian culture and history so seeing the pyramids will never get old. Plus, so many guys in our group had never been before, so the expressions on their faces were enough to bring back the excitement for me. Once we parked the van, we snapped a couple photos and hopped on our camels to get to the Great Pyramid. Trying to climb through the pyramid’s tunnels to get to the tomb was something else. Definitely not made with big people in mind…My back was killing me after making that TREK! But our tour guide for the day did a great job and for that, AFWB thanks @EforEgypt.

Next stop was the Sphinx which is also incredible. We met up with Thomson Reuters, a great international news agency there, for an interview. Happy to talk with them about or trip and AFWB.

After a quick break at the hotel, we spent a few hours at the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. The ambassador, Stephen Beecroft, was a great host and we all appreciated his hospitality.

TMZ got a hold of me on the way to dinner and asked if I could do a quick interview with them after photo bombing DeAngelo Williams earlier today. Interview was fun and I’m real glad they reached out and took an interest in our organization.

All this was just day one. I can’t wait to start the camps and help spread the game of America Football in Cairo!

– Gary Barnidge, 82

AFWBPRESSRELEASE-EGYPT-02_23_2016

NFL PLAYERS INTRODUCE AMERICAN FOOTBALL IN EGYPT

WITH A HUMANITARIAN MESSAGE

American Football Without Barriers aims to globalize the sport of American Football, with camps and outreach to underserved communities.

Egypt Air and Lenovo are proud to sponsor the 4th annual American Football without Barriers (AFWB) camp and charity visit to take place in Cairo, Egypt, March 2nd thru 5th, 2016. The event is organized by the Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF) in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports and Egyptian Ministry of Tourism.   After successful camps in China in 2013, Brazil in 2014, and Turkey in 2015, 10 top National Football League (NFL) players are heading to Egypt, the first AFWB International camp in Africa.

The NFL players working with AFWB are passionate about sharing their professional skills with emerging fan bases around the world and spreading their commitment to service and leadership. The 10 professional athlete include All-Pro Tight Ends Gary Barnidge and Jordan Cameron, Super Bowl Champions Marshawn Lynch and Breno Giacomini, and one of the NFL’s top running backs DeAngelo Williams.  Over the course of two days they will teach on-field technical skill building and leadership to over 450 Egyptian and international American football players and enthusiasts.  The players will also hold a Coaches Clinic with in-class instruction and on-field implementation.  The week will conclude with an All-Star Football game between the camp’s best players, followed by a concert and party hosted by The Egyptian Federation of American Football (EFAF).

As part of their global goodwill tour, the players have designated two days of community outreach and will be visiting the Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357 and LeBaladna which seeks to help Egypt’s underprivileged communities and reform their infrastructure which includes education, health, food supply, and shelter.

The NFL players will be hosted locally by EFAF, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) recognized governing body of American Football in Egypt, and the organizers of the Egyptian National Team.  EFAF currently has 7 teams affiliated with their league, with over 400 players, and is a socially responsible organization seeking the expansion, popularization, and the development of both tackle and flag football in Egypt.  American Football in Egypt is growing rapidly and just recently held their first international club friendly between the Cairo Wolves and Jordan’s Amman Barracudas.  International guests representing all nations across the Middle East and North Africa region will also be participating in this year’s camp in an effort to include and further promote American Football.

Media interested in attending any portion of the camp or charity events should make arranges through Todd Buelow, AFWB Board of Director Member (contact below).  Members of the Press, with credentials from their outlet, are invited to the Media Press Conference on March 5th.

Activities for the Press:

• Saturday, March 5th Media Press Conference, 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Social Media to Follow:

• Egypt Camp Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/183446722021475/
• AFWB Main Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afwbcamp/
• AFWB Main Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afwb11/?fref=ts
• AFWB Main Twitter: https://twitter.com/AFWBCAMP
• EFAF Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EFAF2014/

Roster of Players:

• Breno Giacomini: New York Jets, Offensive Lineman
• DeAngelo Williams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Running Back
• Erik Lorig: New Orleans Saints / Free Agent, Fullback
• Gary Barnidge: Cleveland Browns, Tight End
• Johnson Bademosi: Cleveland Browns, Defensive End/Special Teams
• Colby Cameron, Fujitsu Frontiers, Quarterback
• Jordan Cameron: Miami Dolphins, Tight End
• Marshawn Lynch: Seattle Seahawks, Running Back
• Oday Aboushi: Houston Texans, Offensive Lineman
• Craig Loston: Jacksonville Jaguars, Safety

About American Football Without Barriers

American Football Without Barriers is a non-profit organization dedicated to globalizing American football and reaching underprivileged communities with a humanitarian message. In addition to international camps, AFWB hosts several camps in the U.S. aimed at teaching underprivileged kids to play American football. To learn more about American Football Without Barriers please visit www.afwbcamp.com.

Contacts:

Todd Buelow                                                               Ahmed Awadallah

Board Member, AFWB                                                Director, AFWB

todd@afwbcamp.com                                                 Director@afwbcamp.com

Amr Hebbo

Founder, Egyptian Federation of American Football

amrhebbo@afwbcamp.com