FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Ten months after sending the New England Patriots team plane to China to secure and retrieve desperately needed PPE for healthcare workers, the Kraft family was once again moved by a desire to support the frontline heroes who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
On Sunday, Feb. 7, the Patriots plane will again be filled for a unique purpose, this time with a patriotic 76 vaccinated healthcare workers representing all six New England states. As guests of the Kraft family, these healthcare "superheroes" will be granted an all-expenses paid trip to Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Fla., including roundtrip travel on the Patriots team plane.
The mission of this trip is two-fold: to recognize and thank a representative group of the countless healthcare superheroes in New England, and to celebrate and spread the important message of getting vaccinated.
"Last April, when our plane returned with masks from China, we never could have imagined the devastation this pandemic would cause, nor could we have dreamed of the heroic stories and achievements that have come to be as a result, especially the dedication of healthcare workers on the front lines and the creation of safe and effective vaccines," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "Ten months later, it's an honor for us to celebrate these healthcare workers by giving them a well-deserved break for a day and an opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl, a reality that is only made possible because of the vaccines. We hope that in doing so, others are also encouraged to get vaccinated as they are able. Once again, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the healthcare heroes who have risked their well-being to ensure ours. They are truly superheroes to us."
These healthcare workers hail from all six New England states and represent a range of hospitals and roles, all of which have been supporting COVID-19 units during the pandemic. The Kraft family offered four tickets to each of the governors outside of Massachusetts, who then selected healthcare superheroes from their respective states, for a total of 20 individuals representing Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The remaining tickets were distributed to many of the not-for-profit hospitals throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that continue to care for COVID-19 patients. All attending healthcare workers have been fully vaccinated no later than Jan. 24, or 14 days prior to travel.
In addition to one Super Bowl LV ticket and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly on the Patriots team plane, the 76 healthcare workers selected for this trip will also receive the following, courtesy of the Kraft family with help from the NFL: transportation from Gillette Stadium to Logan Airport with police escort, a ticket to the NFL TikTok Tailgate concert headlined by Miley Cyrus exclusively for vaccinated healthcare workers, a two-night complimentary hotel stay provided by Mark Stebbins and Leo Xarras of XSS Hotels, owner of both the Renaissance Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn at Patriot Place, a Patriots gift bag, a $100 VISA gift card to spend at Raymond James Stadium and ground transportation in Tampa.
The healthcare superheroes will depart from Boston Logan Airport the morning of Sunday, Feb. 7. The guests will arrive and board the Patriots plane from the very same hangar that received the plane filled with 1.2 million respirator masks on April 2, 2020. Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft will then greet these superheroes upon arrival at Tampa International Airport. Once in Tampa, they will attend the NFL TikTok Tailgate concert, followed by the Super Bowl. They will return to Boston on the Patriots team plane after the game, arriving back at Gillette Stadium to complete their rewarding and memorable day.
Media availability is being planned for those seeking to cover the group's departure from Boston Logan Airport the morning of Sunday, Feb. 7. More information will be provided as details are confirmed.
