(JTA) — You can have one of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl rings while helping those in need facing food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic. But it’s gonna cost you.
Kraft is putting his Super Bowl LI championship ring up for auction to raise money for those facing food insecurity. As of noon Monday, the bidding had reached $500,000 after starting at 75,000. There’s 11 days left to bid.
Kraft was asked to participate in the All-In Challenge, a digital fundraiser created by Fanatics founder and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin.
Also included in the purchase of the ring is a trip in the Patriots’ team plane to Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston, where the buyer will be presented with the ring in the team’s trophy room and be invited to a personal meeting with Kraft.
Kraft said he picked the Super Bowl ring from the 2017 game because of the Patriots’ stunning 34-28 comeback win in overtime over the Atlanta Falcons — the Pats were down 28-3 in the third quarter — and the parallels that can be drawn with the current struggle in the United States against the coronavirus, Yahoo Sports reported.
Kraft, a winner of the Genesis Prize, the so-called Jewish Nobel, has earned six Super Bowl rings as owner of the Patriots. One is on display in the Kremlin. Kraft says Russian President Vladimir Putin tried it on and did not give it back. A Putin spokesman said in 2013 that the ring was a gift, according to NBC Sports.
Several weeks ago, Kraft sent the team plane to China to pick up new protective gear for medical personnel. The plane was on the ground for just under three hours in Shenzhen as workers in masks and full-body suits loaded boxes of N95 masks onto the plane.
