The New England Patriots are trying to cover the homeless as a fresh blast of arctic air grips the region.
The team says it's donating more than 1,200 blankets that fans brought to keep warm during last Sunday's frigid 26-6 win over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.
Fans were encouraged to leave the blankets behind, and they were cleaned and folded by stadium employees afterward.
On Friday afternoon, team representatives, including rookie defensive end Derek Rivers, Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, and a group of Patriots season ticket holders, will distribute 600 of the blankets to Boston's Pine Street Inn, which offers shelter and other services to the homeless.
The blankets are being delievered ahead of a weekend forecast that threatens to reach record lows, with bone-chilling temperatures dipping well below zero.
The Patriots say the rest of the 600 blankets, along with some hats and gloves, will be given to homeless shelters in each of the five other New England states this weekend.
