Boston Dedicates Pandemic-Delayed School Field With Patriots, City Officials

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston school officials and New England Patriots leadership dedicated a renovated athletic field at a Boston school complex Tuesday, celebrating a project completed during the COVID-19 pandemic that could not be marked publicly at the time. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Casillas, city Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space Reverend Mariama White Hammond, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, and Patriots Hall of Famer and Executive Director of Community Relations Andre Tippett all spoke at the outdoor ceremony. Karen Kelleher, Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Boston, described the funding structure: the NFL Foundation and Patriots Foundation channel grants through LISC to the Fund for Parks and Recreation in Boston and other community organizations to support fields like this one. Tippett told the assembled student athletes: "Isn't this field a wonderful classroom? Back in my day we used to call it the eighth period." Kraft, whose father attended English High School, said he "loves supporting the city of Boston" and urged students to "live your dreams and dream big and don't be afraid to fail."