The Patriots plane is used to making the trip to the Super Bowl this time of year, but its passenger manifest looks quite different than usual.
New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft is using his team’s plane to transport 76 vaccinated health care workers to the Super Bowl.
The plane will also be used to encourage people to take the coronavirus vaccine. The outside of the plane has been painted with the message: “When it’s your turn, take the shot. Get vaccinated.”
The 76 vaccinated health care workers on the Patriot’s plane – all from the New England area – will join 7,500 other health care workers who will be attending the game at the NFL’s invitation.
This is not the first time that the Patriots have used their plane in a coronavirus-related capacity. In April, the six-time Super Bowl champs sent their plane to pick-up 1.2 million N95 masks from China. The Kraft family spent $2 million on the trip.
Kraft said in a statement:
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.
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.
There will be 25,000 fans and 30,000 cutouts in attendance when the Buccaneers face the Chiefs on Sunday.
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