Remembering Mother New England

            If Robert Kraft is the father of New England sports, then yesterday, New England lost its mother.  Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution, lost his wife Myra to her battle with cancer at the age of 68. 

            While this is not what you’d expect on a blog site about American football, a moment must be taken to look at an incredibly influential women that was seemingly behind the scenes to those of us that merely pay attention to the score.  Myra Kraft was a philanthropist, and used her fortune to donate millions upon millions to worthy causes including education, healthcare, and religious charities. 

            Her contributions to the Boys and Girls Club of Boston were unmatched and likewise were her non-fiscal contributions to the club.  Kraft was on the board and helped to run the program that helps to keep so many underprivileged children in the Boston area out of trouble, pointing them to a brighter future.  Myra Kraft was also on the board of the American Repertory Theatre,

United Way

of Massachusetts Bay and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

   Football didn’t come as a natural enjoyment to Kraft, who truly questioned her husband upon purchasing the New England Patriots in 1994 because of their lack of success in the previous decade.  Myra grew to love the Patriots though, and their fans, and during last season, every home game was dedicated towards her work with the NFL’s “Kick Cancer” campaign.  The campaign that was searching for a cure for cancer was very successful in New England as Kraft herself donated millions into the worthy cause. 

            Nobody cared for New England and its residents in the way that Myrna Kraft did.  It was Myra Kraft, even, that made sure in each contract of every individual Patriots player, that each of them had to attend and contribute to 10 charritable events every year.  If you’ve ever seen kicker Stephen Gostowski hanging out with children at Boston Children’s Hospital or Vince Wilfork serving food at a local soup kitchen for the homeless around Christmas, then chances are you’ve seen Myra Kraft’s vision at work.

            Football is a game of heart, pride, and honor and is one where every child in America has a special player that he or she looks up to.  It is the people like Myra Kraft, who keep these idols working for the community and who contribute their lives to making their community better, that make the NFL special.  There is no other sport in the world that gives back so much to the community and no other woman in America was so fond and loving towards the people of New England.