Members of the New England Patriots and Revolution traded shoulder pads and cleats for Halloween costumes this week, hosting a party at Gillette Stadium for approximately 40 children battling cancer and other critical illnesses. The kids, all from local hospitals, got to dress up, meet professional athletes, and spend an afternoon far removed from treatment rooms and hospital corridors.
The gathering was organized by the Kraft Family, the Patriots Foundation and the Revolution Foundation, which hosted what has become an annual Halloween celebration for pediatric cancer patients and their families at the stadium, according to the New England Patriots. Kids who attended got to interact with the football and soccer players up close, spending time on activities including pumpkin and tote-bag decorating, as reported by WHDH 7News.
Players Say the Event Is About Giving Back
For the athletes who showed up, the afternoon carried weight beyond a photo opportunity. Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane told WHDH, “These kids are a real joy to our community, so to be able to give back to them is what it's all about.” Patriots safety Brenden Schooler echoed that sentiment, noting that the team's charitable arm regularly organizes outings like this one: “our foundation, the Patriots Foundation, does stuff like this,” he said, per the same station's report.
CBS News Boston also covered the gathering, reporting that WBZ-TV meteorologist Sarah Wroblewski was present at the party with her family. Wroblewski returned to the station earlier this year after nearly three years away from work while caring for her son through his own cancer battle. She stepped away from WBZ-TV in 2023 to care for her 6-year-old son, Declan, after he was diagnosed with brain cancer, according to Boston.com.
A Tradition With a Different Theme Each Year
This year's party continues a tradition that stretches back several Halloweens at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots Foundation held a similar party in 2022, when players including Matthew Slater, Nelson Agholor and Cole Strange dressed up in circus-themed costumes for the occasion. In 2023, the event was held on Oct. 24 and tied to the league's Crucial Catch: Intercept Cancer initiative, with players such as Mac Jones, Hunter Henry and David Andrews taking part in a space-themed celebration, according to the team.
The party's look changes from year to year — organizers have gone with safari, circus and space themes in different seasons — but the core activities have stayed consistent, with pumpkin and cookie decorating, games and a balloon artist among the recurring attractions the Patriots have described in past recaps. Attendance has also varied: one past Patriots report described about 30 children from local-area hospitals being invited to a prior costume party, a smaller number than the roughly 40 children reported at this week's event by WHDH.
Despite the shifting themes and numbers, the purpose has remained the same each year — giving kids facing serious illness a few hours of ordinary childhood fun, surrounded by professional athletes who, for an afternoon, are mostly just happy to decorate pumpkins alongside them.
