The last time Rob Gronkowski and Robert Kraft were together, the legendary New England Patriots tight end was celebrating the grand opening of "Gronk Playground" in Boston.
It was during that August afternoon that their mutual friend, Susan Hurley, planted a seed.
Hurley, founder and president of CharityTeams and a former Patriots cheerleader, worked closely with Gronkowski to build the dynamic playscape to inspire youth fitness and fun for children of all abilities.
Speaking at a podium propped up on the Charles River Esplanade, she did something bold.
"I want to thank our beloved Mr. Robert Kraft, the greatest owner in sports history, for instilling in Rob the importance of philanthropy and selflessness early on as an athlete," Hurley said, reflecting on her relationship with both Kraft and Gronkowski.
"He loves his fans. He truly cares for others. This generous gift of $1.8 million to our community shows his deep connection to New England and proves that his heart will be forever in Foxborough. And I'm going to go out on a limb here. Can we just make it official and sign him for a day so he can retire a Patriot?"
Hurley got a big smile and a thumbs-up from the Patriots chairman & CEO.
Of course, Kraft was thrilled to have the future Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Famer partake in such a symbolic gesture. A date was set to make it happen on the Wednesday before New England's prime time game against the New York Jets to work around Gronkowski's schedule as an NFL analyst for Fox.
Unfortunately, Hurley could only be there in spirit.
After a hard-fought battle with ovarian cancer, Hurley passed away on November 1 -- just over a week before Gronkowski's ceremony at Gillette Stadium.
Kraft and Gronkowski both made sure to honor their beloved friend Hurley on Wednesday.
"She wanted Rob to retire as a Patriot," Kraft said in front of media at the ceremonial press conference.
Kraft explained that with Gronkowski eligible for the Patriots Hall of Fame next year, a symbolic gesture like this would have been in the works for those celebrations.
Those plans changed that day at Gronk Playground.
"I've heard that from fans everywhere, and I explained to them how we planned to do it," Kraft said.
"We decided to call an audible because of Susan's request and fulfill it right away. … So, thank you, Susan. Although she won't be with us physically, she'll be with us spiritually, and we believe she's in our presence now."
Susan founded CharityTeams in 2008, which helps nonprofits raise funds through athletic events such as the Boston Marathon. Through her life's work, she helped hundreds of runners across various races achieve their running goals while raising $42 million for nonprofits like the Patriots Foundation and the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation.
"We are 100 percent here today for her, no doubt about that," Gronk said Wednesday, moments after signing his ceremonial contract.
"I've never seen anyone have so much passion and so much grace for what they do and in raising money for other charities. I knew she was special and she did an excellent job when working with her for the 10-plus years I worked with her. She made it seamless, she made it easy, she ran all the activities, all the events, and she will have a lasting impact forever."
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