FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (December 30, 2010) - Nearly 70,000 fans pack the stands at Gillette Stadium for every Patriots home game and, statistically, far too many of them will develop cancer in their lifetimes.

Throughout the 2010 regular season, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's "Kick Cancer" initiative aimed to raise awareness among Patriots fans about cancer risks and prevention with the help of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital - the founding hospitals of Partners HealthCare - and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In support of the campaign, the hospitals distributed educational material at home games and Patriots players dedicated time on their off days to visit patients and their families. Several players also filmed public service announcements encouraging fans to get screened for various forms of cancer.

The season-long initiative culminates at Sunday's game versus the Miami Dolphins, where the Patriots will celebrate the campaign and honor all cancer survivors and caregivers in attendance during a halftime ceremony.

"Our 'Kick Cancer' initiative has aimed to raise awareness about the incredible prevalence of cancer, the many risk factors and the extreme importance of early detection, and we've had a tremendous response," said Patriots Chairman & CEO Robert Kraft. "We want our extended Patriots family, which includes our fans, to be spared the heartache caused by a loved one diagnosed too late. Part of awareness is recognizing how many survivors are in our presence, and we look forward to doing that Sunday."

At halftime of the Dolphins game, the Patriots will ask all cancer survivors and caregivers who work to fight the disease to stand and be recognized by their fellow fans. To raise awareness about the prevalence of cancer, the team has also solicited names of season ticket holders who are survivors and caregivers and will display those names on Patriots.com.

For more information about the "Kick Cancer" initiative, including resources and information about cancer prevention and screening, visit Patriots.com/community.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION "KICK CANCER" GAME SCHEDULE:January 2: Miami Dolphins - "Kick Cancer" Celebration for Survivors and Caregivers

ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is the 501(c)(3) non-profit entity created by the Kraft family to support charitable and philanthropic agencies throughout New England. This support comes in the form of direct grants, and the donation of signed memorabilia to a variety of charitable causes, and from Patriots players who offer their direct support by appearing at charity functions throughout the year. The Foundation's primary goal is to support programs that aid the youth and families of New England while underscoring the Kraft family's deep commitment to philanthropic activities in the community. Over the past 16 years, the Foundation has made millions of dollars in donations to thousands of non-profit organizations throughout New England and has partnered with numerous community groups, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, the United Way, the Greater Boston Food Bank and a host of other New England charities. The Foundation actively supports non-profit groups focusing on health, education, youth fitness and community enrichment while also implementing its own programs in those areas of focus. In 2010, The Foundation's "Kick Cancer" initiative aims to awareness about cancer through messages to fans and the distribution of educational material at home games in partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital - the founding hospitals of Partners HealthCare - and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

ABOUT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery network. BWH is the home of the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, the most advanced center of its kind. BWH is committed to excellence in patient care with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery. The BWH medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives and its dedication to educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving more than 900 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by more than $485 M in funding. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information about BWH, please visit http://www.brighamandwomens.org.

ABOUT DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.dana-farber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It provides adult cancer care with Brigham and Women's Hospital as Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center and it provides pediatric care with Children's Hospital Boston as Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center. Dana-Farber is the top ranked cancer center in New England, according to U.S. News & World Report, and one of the largest recipients among independent hospitals of National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grant funding.

ABOUT THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL CANCER CENTER
An integral part of one of the world's most distinguished academic medical centers, the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center (www.massgeneral.org/cancer) is among the leading cancer care providers in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the Mass General Cancer Center as one of the top ten cancer centers in the country. Its nurses were the first in Massachusetts to achieve Magnet status in recognition of the hospital's exceptional nursing care. Known for providing customized, innovative treatments and compassionate care to both adults and children, the Cancer Center comprises 22 fully integrated, multidisciplinary clinical programs and a vast array of support and educational services. Its network of affiliations extends throughout New England and the southeastern U.S. The Cancer Center's commitment to eradicating cancer is fueled by scientific investigation conducted as part of one of the largest hospital-based research programs in the nation. Through a powerful synergy between laboratory scientists and bedside physicians, the Mass General Cancer Center fosters innovation in all phases of cancer research. Physician investigators conduct nearly 400 clinical trials annually. The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is proud to be a founding member of a Harvard Medical School consortium designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center. This prestigious seven-member center forms the largest cancer research collaboration in the country. The promising new treatments developed through this partnership are revolutionizing the future of cancer medicine.

ABOUT PARTNERS HEALTHCAREPartners HealthCare is an integrated health care system founded by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to its two academic medical centers, the Partners system includes community and specialty hospitals, community health centers, a physician network, home health and long-term care services, and other health-related entities. Partners is one of the nation's leading biomedical research organizations and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Partners HealthCare is a non-profit organization.