But officials at Lebanon MS made the assumption that Patriots' players were part of the deal -- and the New England Dairy and Food Council is taking full responsibility for the misunderstanding.
Gary Wheelock, CEO of the non-profit group, sends this statement:
"New England Dairy & Food Council wishes to apologize for our miscommunication that led to student disappointment that a New England Patriots player did not attend the Lebanon CT Middle School assembly program earlier this week.
This was not, in any way, the fault of the Patriots, it was solely New England Dairy & Food Council’s mistake, and we are very sorry.
We want to congratulate the kids at Lebanon Middle School for their exemplary efforts participating in the “Fuel Up To Play 60” program. Building strong bodies and strong minds is a goal we can all embrace.
Finally, we promise that we will find a way to make this right, and we ask the kids for their patience while we try to make amends."