The families of the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and some of the injured students made it to Washington D.C. for the "March for Our Lives" against gun violence Saturday thanks to the Patriots, per the Boston Globe.
Owner Robert Kraft lent the Patriots' official plane, the "AirKraft," to fly the families and students to the nation's capital on Thursday. They will return on the plane Sunday.
Club spokesman Stacey James told the Globe former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, reached out to Kraft and asked for the gesture. Giffords was shot in the head at a public event in 2011, and started a gun prevention organization, "Giffords," shortly thereafter.
Earlier in the week, some of the more outspoken Parkland students participated in a panel at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government about gun-control. Thousands of people are expected to march in Washington Saturday, and similar events will be held in cities all over the country, including Boston.
The Krafts have a history of supporting socially active causes. Last year, the Patriots sponsored the Gay Bowl, an annual LGBT flag football tournament that was held in Boston.
Thank you @Patriots for donating your plane to fly @ShineMsd to Washington DC-- We appreciate your support! pic.twitter.com/JGnN0jNjoe
— Kali Clougherty #ShineMSD (@kali4change) March 23, 2018
