Joe Andruzzi Foundation and New England Patriots Bring Smiles to Cancer Patients During 'Dream Camp' Visit to Gillette Stadium

On Thursday, Aug. 1, The Joe Andruzzi Foundation teamed up with the New England Patriots for the fourth consecutive season to bring smiles and hope to cancer patients and their families through its “Dream Camp” outing to Patriots’ training camp at Gillette Stadium.

Thirty-five individuals from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island who have been impacted by cancer enjoyed a special day of football as they watched their favorite team practice from the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation tent, received autographs from their favorite players and tried on each of former Patriot Joe Andruzzi’s three Super Bowl rings.

“It’s nice to see the smiles that it brings to their faces,” said Mansfield resident Jen Andruzzi, co-founder of The Joe Andruzzi Foundation and wife of the former Patriots offensive lineman. “They are really happy for the opportunity that the Kraft family and the Patriots Charitable Foundation gave them.”

One of those happy guests was 21-year-old Hopkinton resident Jen Fox, who less than four months ago underwent a successful stem cell transplant during her second bout with cancer.

“Right now I am in the clear,” Fox said.

For Fox, like many of the patients and survivors attending practice Thursday, The Joe Andruzzi Foundation’s “(Up)Beat” outings provide a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family in a positive environment and forget about cancer.

“It was really fun,” said Fox. “I got to wear all three Patriots Super Bowl rings, which was my favorite thing.”

Topping Andruzzi’s Super Bowl rings for Fox, however, was having her dad by her side Thursday.

“One of my favorite things ever is watching my dad get excited,” Fox said. “He’s really into football and is a big Pats fan. It’s just cool to be able to have my parents be able to do something because watching your kid go through something like that is not a fun thing. Taking care of the caregivers is something that’s really important to me.”

It’s important to Joe and Jen Andruzzi, too.

“It’s not easy and especially not easy on their families,” Joe Andruzzi said. “I’ve been in the shoes of the players and I’ve been in the shoes of the patients here. I know both sides of it and being a patient; those walls close in on you. To come out here and see these smiles and to know they are going to go home with a few autographs and enjoy the day and go tell all their friends and families about it is great. Instead of talking about what’s really going on with their lives they are going to talk about something good and smile about it and take some pictures and enjoy that moment, which could last for days and months. It’s inspiring and it’s important that I am able to do that through my foundation and get some old friends and new friends over here and put some smiles on their faces because it’s a tough ordeal.”

Joe Andruzzi is six years cancer free after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Burkitt’s lymphoma in 2007. In 2008, Joe and Jen founded the Joe Andruzzi Foundation with the goal of providing help, hope and a reason to smile for cancer patients and their families by contributing financial and emotional support when it is needed most.

“Our foundation is about being positive,” said Joe Andruzzi. “Laughter is our best medicine and having a smile on your face goes a long way.”

 “(Up)Beat” patient outings like Thursday’s “Dream Camp” are just one of three ways The Joe Andruzzi Foundation helps cancer patients, survivors and their families.

“One way we help is through financial assistance for patients battling cancer, the second is (Up)Beat outings like this one and the third is pediatric brain cancer research,” Jen Andruzzi said.

The “Dream Camp” outing is the product of an idea Jen shared with the New England Patriots over four years ago.

“The Patriots are so good,” said Jen Andruzzi. “I brought an idea to (Pro Football and Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker) Andre Tippett a couple of years ago about having an opportunity like this and he said the Patriots Charitable Foundation was going to be doing it and they were going to give us some spots for patients. It was just great.”

The Andruzzi Foundation, in partnership with the Patriots Charitable Foundation, found a variety of ways to invite cancer patients and their families to Thursday’s event.

“Some of the spots were filled by financial assistance recipients that we have interaction with and we know they could really use an ‘(Up)Beat’ outing, so we reach out to them directly,” Jen Andruzzi said. “Other families, like Will Issa (of Roslindale), had his friend (Kevin O’Leary) tweet Joe and said, ‘Hey, my friend has Burkitt’s lymphoma, could you call him?’ and Joe called him. So those are some of the ways these patients were invited to this year’s camp.”

Joe and Jen Andruzzi said their foundation’s “Dream Camp,” in partnership with the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, has become an annual success because of the overwhelming support it receives from the Kraft family and the New England Patriots.

“We had a great patient outing and it’s all thanks to Mr. Kraft and the Kraft family and the Patriots Charitable Foundation,” said Joe Andruzzi. “Can’t thank them enough.”

Said Jen Andruzzi: “Joe was a Patriot and he’s still a Patriot. It’s like coming back to family and that’s how they really treat you.”

And on Thursday, that family increased by 35 members.

“You want to make memories for your own family and friends and if you can help support somebody do that, that’s awesome,” said Jen Andruzzi.

Thirty-five beaming smiles for nearly four hours Thursday was awesome, too.

“With my foundation, it’s not all about raising money to help patients and families, but it’s also about smiles and being positive and being upbeat and to have these families come out here and get their minds off everything,” said Joe Andruzzi. “It was great to see.”