August 23, 2005
New England Patriots practice facility renamed the "Dana-Farber Field House"
Robert Kraft, Jack and Shelley Blais, and Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD, in front of the newly renamed Field House.
As a cancer center and pro football team, respectively, Dana-Farber and the New England Patriots have been recognized as being at the top of their fields. Now, appropriately, these two leading organizations have been linked in a single arena, thanks to the generosity of Dana-Farber Trustee Jack Blais and his wife, Shelley.
The Patriots, in conjunction with Dana-Farber, have renamed the squad's indoor training facility the "Dana-Farber Field House." The announcement was made by team owner Robert Kraft and Institute President Edward J. Benz Jr., MD, during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Aug. 16.
Blais is an entrepreneur who has devoted his career to the development of new products in the field of technology. His passion for Dana-Farber, however, comes from a personal source. Twelve years ago, his uncle was diagnosed with cancer at a well-respected Boston hospital. At the time, doctors told him he had terminal disease with no chance to live. Blais then took his uncle to Dana-Farber, where he was successfully treated with cutting-edge therapies. When an opportunity recently arose for Blais to name the Gillette Stadium training facility, he opted to give this unique gift to the institution that has come to mean so much to him and his family.
The newly named Dana-Farber Field House sits adjacent to Gillette Stadium and the team's three outdoor practice fields. In addition to being used for training sessions by the Patriots and the New England Revolution professional soccer club, the facility is used on a year-round basis for private functions, conventions, and other special events. The Dana-Farber logo will be emblazoned on all sides of the field house.
Blais's ties to the Super Bowl champion Patriots are also strong. He is a longtime season ticket holder and avid fan of the club, and he and team owner Robert Kraft are members of the Dana-Farber Board of Trustees. Kraft, also a longtime supporter of the Institute, endowed the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center in 1983, and more recently endowed the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine chair at Harvard Medical School.
"I tip my hat to Jack Blais for this incredible act of generosity," Kraft said at the press conference. "My family and the Patriots organization are big believers in the work being done at Dana-Farber. We're thrilled to be able to facilitate this gift, and we welcome the Dana-Farber family to our home in Foxborough."
Stated Benz: "Jack Blais's decision to name the Patriots' field house in honor of Dana-Farber is a public testament to two of his longstanding loves: rooting for the New England Patriots and supporting the Institute in its efforts to beat cancer. We are grateful for this wonderful gesture; it's a special pleasure to have Dana-Farber's name up at Gillette Stadium."
