Super Bowl surprise: Waterbury Center nurse to fly the Patriots’ jet to the game

February 6, 2021  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

Central Vermont Medical Center Emergency Department Nurse Lisa Walton, RN, is headed to the Super Bowl courtesy of the New England Patriots. CVMC photo.

Although her team isn’t playing in Super Bowl LV this weekend, Waterbury Center registered nurse Lisa Walton will be on a plane headed to the big game in Tampa anyway. 

It won’t be just any plane, either. Walton and 75 other health care workers from around New England will be flying aboard the New England Patriots’ private team Boeing 767 jet on Sunday for a whirlwind trip to the Super Bowl and back. The Central Vermont Medical Center Emergency Department nurse is one of four Vermont health care workers making the all-expenses-paid trip at the invitation of Patriots owner Robert Kraft. 

He said the trip is a way to thank and treat at least some of the hard-working frontline medical workers of the COVID-19 pandemic and to talk up the importance of vaccines. The gesture is not Kraft’s first foray into contributing to the pandemic cause. Last spring the Patriot plane made a special trip to China to haul back 1.2 million masks for health-care workers. 

“Last April, when our plane returned with masks from China, we never could have imagined the devastation this pandemic would cause, nor could we have dreamed of the heroic stories and achievements that have  come to be as a result, especially the dedication of healthcare workers on the front lines and the creation of  safe and effective vaccines,” Kraft said in a statement this week. 

“Ten months later, it’s an honor for  us to celebrate these healthcare workers by giving them a well-deserved break for a day and an opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl, a reality that is only made possible because of the vaccines. We hope that in doing so, others are also encouraged to get vaccinated as they are able. Once again, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the healthcare heroes who have risked their well-being to ensure ours. They are truly superheroes to us,” he said.  

The Patriots extended the offer to the governors of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island to choose four vaccinated health care workers in each of their states. The remaining 56 spots were distributed among hospitals in Massachusetts. Each individual needed to have been vaccinated no later than 14 days before travel, according to the team announcement. Health-care workers have been among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine so far.

In Vermont, hospitals were chosen randomly and staffers -- all nurses -- were then chosen at random at each hospital. In addition to Walton from the Berlin medical center, the others headed to the game are Kristin Baker from University of Vermont Medical Center, Lyndi Medico from Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, and Chris Petry from Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. 

According to a news release Friday, Walton was selected from CVMC staff nominated for recognition for regularly going above and beyond their duties. “Walton is well-known throughout the hospital for her cheerful disposition and can-do attitude,” the statement explained. “She also happens to be a huge football fan. Her favorite team is the New England Patriots.”

Walton said she got the call from her supervisor last weekend and she couldn’t believe she was picked. “In my mind, being first in line to get the vaccine as a frontline worker was a privilege in itself. I never imagined getting vaccinated would lead to this opportunity,” Walton said. 

“My first-ever trip to Gillette Stadium to watch the Patriots was actually planned for this year, but was cancelled due to the pandemic. This more than makes up for it,” she said. 

Perks of the trip include police-escorted transportation from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., to Boston’s Logan Airport; a pre-game concert headlined by Miley Cyrus for vaccinated health-care workers; a Patriots gift bag, and a $100 VISA gift card. Kraft also said he plans to meet the team plane and all of the guests when they land in Tampa. 

The Central Vermont hospital announcement also noted that the health care workers representing Vermont would be packing maple products as “thank you” gifts for the Kraft family and the Patriots.

As for Walton, she didn’t say whether she will be rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. However, she did offer a message of encouragement regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. “When you have a chance to get the vaccine, take it,” she said. “The more people we have vaccinated, the faster we can get back to doing the things we love.”