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(PHOTO: Robert Deutsch - USA TODAY Sports) The New England Patriots and owner Robert Kraft accomplished an unprecedented mission to buy, donate, and deliver much needed N95 masks to hospitals in Massachusetts and New York this past week.
Kraft had 1.2 million N95 masks flown into Boston from China to help replenish the inventory of PPE (personal protective equipment) at hospitals in Massachusetts.
300,000 of those masks will also provide aid in New York city and state.
According to ESPN, The Kraft family paid $2 million, about half the cost, to acquire the masks.
The initial order was for 1.7 million masks, but only 1.2 million could fit on “Air Kraft”. The remainder of the masks, about 500,000, are set to be delivered in another shipment.
During an online press conference via Zoom on Thursday, running back James White mentioned how proud he was to be a Patriot following Kraft’s donation.
“I’m extremely proud,” he said. “He does stuff like that all the time. It starts from the top, as soon as you step in the building you see how much community work the Kraft family does and it’s very infectious. Each and every person who steps in the building tries to do as much as they can to help others out. It’s really cool to see and I hope all of us can do whatever we can to help others in this trying time.”
You can read the full story into how the team pulled off the humanitarian effort to get the masks back home courtesy of Patriots.com’s Erik Scalavlno HERE.
Also check out all the sights and sounds from social media as “Air Kraft” made its return to the United States on Thursday and the journey of the masks that followed into Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhCQrWkiio0
We are all Patriots … thx guys JBJ
New England Patriots’ jet will bring over a million N95 masks from China to UShttps://t.co/YaVQ1l2led
— Jon Bon Jovi (@jonbonjovi) April 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/MFlowers59/status/1245739263263535106?s=20
A huge thank you to our friends @TencentGlobal! Without their vital logistical knowledge and help warehousing and protecting these critical supplies, this would NOT have been possible. pic.twitter.com/NqJyHDZ2D1
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 2, 2020
Thanks as well to our partners in this effort: the team on the ground Tencent, Ambassador Huang Ping, Dr. Jason Li, Gene Hartigan and many others.
Our administration will continue to do whatever we can to secure critical equipment for the Commonwealth’s front-line workers. pic.twitter.com/0epM0TfYen
— Charlie Baker (@MAGovArchive) April 2, 2020
Never prouder to be associated with the @patriots organization. And never more grateful to the Kraft family. https://t.co/bG0Q9039HQ
— Bob Socci (@BobSocci) April 3, 2020
Kraft, on CNN: "It's time for us to rally together and solve these kinds of issues." pic.twitter.com/OU3nIFuRb3
— Liam Martin (@LiamFromBoston) April 3, 2020
Just caught the moment the @Patriots truck carrying 300,000 masks to fight #coronavirus was escorted by #NYPD into the #Javits makeshift hospital. Never thought I’d say this as a @Giants fan but THANK YOU New England! ❤️💙 @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/odQbOCbamo
— Tara Jakeway (@tarajakewaytv) April 3, 2020
We are all in this together.
We were proud to be part of the escort bringing 300K masks from Massachusetts to New York City.
The masks, donated and transported by the @Patriots, were delivered to the Javits Center on Friday.
New York thanks you. pic.twitter.com/8TvxTWijAU— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) April 3, 2020
Governor Cuomo gives Robert Kraft a status update from NYC.#TogetherWhileApart pic.twitter.com/mnChoJQ7Zs
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 3, 2020
Something I thought I’d never read … in a New York paper. I love this! pic.twitter.com/7vTgmcxRDx
— Stacey James (@Stacey_James) April 4, 2020
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