Patriots owner Robert Kraft uses Patriots plane to bring 1.2 million masks to Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts had the fifth-most confirmed cases of COVID-19 of any state as of April 1st, according to the CDC, and the state is facing a shortage of protective equipment for medical professionals. Massachusetts received less than a fifth of the amount of equipment it requested from the strategic national stockpile – but New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft stepped up in a big way to help bring more than a million N95 masks to the United States.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the Kraft family paid a total of $2 million – around half the cost – to buy 1.7 million masks directly from China, and sent the Patriots team plane to transport them from Shenzhen to Boston. Only 1.2 million masks were able to fit on the plane, and the remainder will be transported separately. 300,000 of the masks will go to New York State.

Kraft said in a statement that he hopes other people in a similar position can use their resources creatively to find ways to help others during the coronavirus crisis.

“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. It’s nice to care for those who provide such compassionate care for us.”