Rather than flying players, the New England Patriots’ team plane was used to transport 1.2 million N95 masks from Shenzhen, China, to the United States. Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker contacted Robert Kraft to see if he would be interested in helping. Kraft agreed without hesitation, and the team had to jump through multiple logistical roadblocks before they could send the plane to China.
The plane was required to be upgraded to international travel and obtain a waiver to avoid a 14-day quarantine that was granted if the crew does not leave the aircraft.
“I’ve never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome,” Kraft said. “In today’s world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us.
“It is an honor for our family to be a part of this humanitarian mission,” Kraft said in a statement. “We knew that purchasing greatly-needed N95 masks and providing the Patriots plane to expedite their delivery to local hospitals would immediately help protect our courageous healthcare professionals.
“Multiple organizations across the public and private sectors, all of which were in lockstep with Governor Charlie Baker’s visionary leadership, worked together to execute this mission with the purpose of helping save lives.”
The Front Line
New York continues to serve as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, with more than 83,000 reported cases. Massachusetts has over 7,700 cases, and more than 120 people have died due to the coronavirus.
“I truly hope that in doing so, we can, in some way, inspire others to find creative ways to give more in support of our doctors, nurses, and first responders,” Kraft said. “It’s nice to care for those who provide such compassionate care for us.”
The Massachusetts Governor took to Twitter to thank Kraft and the organization by tweeting, “No days off. Thanks to some serious teamwork, Massachusetts is set to receive over 1 million N95 masks for our front-line workers. Huge thanks to the Krafts and several dedicated partners for making this happen.”
The Massachusetts National Guard will reportedly be transporting the masks to a strategic stockpile in Marlborough, Mass.
New York Help
Former New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is also doing his best to help out in these tough times. Marbury is reportedly attempting to arrange a deal that would bring the United States 10 million N95 masks but has not had any luck yet.
“At the end of the day, I am from Brooklyn,” Marbury told the Post from Beijing, where he coaches the Chinese Basketball Association’s Royal Fighters. “This is something that is close and dear to my heart as far as being able to help New York.”
Marbury then said, “I have family there in Coney Island, a lot of family who are affected by this, so I know how important it is for people to have masks during this time.”
