SLIDESHOW: NE Patriots, CVS Caremark Team Up for Tribute to Military Veterans of All Abilities

CVS Caremark and the New England Patriots teamed up for an early Veterans Day tribute Saturday at Gillette Stadium’s Dana-Farber Field House.

CVS Caremark worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Adaptive Sports program – a program of the VA Boston Healthcare System – to identify 50 veterans of all abilities from across New England to a special football skills camp on the Patriots’ practice field.

Among the Veterans was Arthur Lil of Framingham, of the U.S. Army.

The CVS Caremark/New England Patriots Veterans Skills Camp paired former Patriots players with veterans from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire Rhode Island and Vermont for a day of fun and skills training.  

The special camp hosted by CVS Caremark and the Patriots kicked off in true Patriots style with veterans from all branches of the military experiencing the thrill of taking the field through an oversized Patriots helmet.

It continued with veterans honing their football skills at blocking, throwing and kicking stations run by Patriots alumni Max Lane, Jon Williams, Pete Brock and Eric Alexander; lunch on the sidelines; and an opportunity to get autographs from and take pictures with the Patriots alumni, cheerleaders, and mascot Pat Patriot.

As part of the camp, the veterans also received tickets for a visit to The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon. 

The CVS Caremark/New England Patriots Veterans Skills Camp was an extension of CVS Caremark’s commitment to individuals with disabilities and the company’s overall commitment to supporting military and veteran-focused organizations. 

“We are proud to provide this experience to the men and women who have served our country,” said Eileen Howard Boone, senior vice president of corporate philanthropy and social responsibility for CVS Caremark. “Our company has a longstanding commitment to veterans, and we are so pleased to see veterans of all ages and abilities and from all branches of the armed forces enjoying this event. And it was such a pleasure to team with our friends at the New England Patriots for the second year in a row on this skills camp as they share our commitment to veterans and to individuals of all abilities.” 

Jenny McLaughlin, adaptive sports case manager for the VA Boston Healthcare System, said, “Our adaptive sports program has been extremely blessed over the years by the athletic opportunities CVS Caremark has afforded our veterans on professional playing fields. 

This is the second time veterans were invited to Gillette Stadium to work with former Patriots players and to have some fun on the turf. 

"CVS has also brought us to Fenway Park twice – giving our veterans a chance to work with the Boston Red Sox hitting coaches on their batting skills and to enjoy a day at this beloved park. It means so much to our veterans to have this kind of support because it allows them to take a break from the challenges they face each day and to enjoy the normalcy of playing sports," said McLaughlin.

Over the years, CVS Caremark has provided charitable support to military and veteran-focused organizations, including the National Guard, Fisher House, Operation Military Embrace and the USO. The company has also worked with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program to identify and hire veterans, has partnered with the Boston Red Sox for the last two years on baseball skills camps at Fenway Park for veterans of all abilities and with the nonprofit organization Golf For All on a series of golf clinics for veterans of all abilities. Additionally, the company has established a colleague resource group – called Valor – for veterans.