New England Patriots surprise military families after first day of training camp

The New England Patriots did a little something Thursday that some might call rather patriotic at the conclusion of their first day of training camp.

According to WBZ-TV, the team handed out bicycles to military families and their children, thanks to a partnership with Blue Star Families and CarMax.

What are the details?

According to WCVB-TV, the children of local service members and their families were in attendance at the Patriots' first day of training camp and were able to watch the team practice from the VIP section.

Unbeknownst to the families in attendance, volunteers were assembling bicycles for two hours in order to hand them out to those families at the end of practice.

When the practice concluded, Patriots players brought out the bikes, which had been hidden from the kids' view, and brought them onto the field to give them away.

CarMax had volunteers on the scene to help assemble the bikes. One such volunteer was Harold Smith, who lauded the program.

"Just knowing that it affects a lot of kids, I've got a brother still stationed overseas, so just to know that it's gonna to go someone like my niece or nephew and knowing that they needed," Smith said. "It's incredible."

What did the Patriots owner say?

Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots, celebrated the military families for their sacrifices and contributions.

"Appreciate everything you do for the country, and we're happy in a small way we can do something to brighten your day here," Kraft said, according to WBZ.

Joe Thuney, Patriots offensive lineman, added, "Having fun out here, making kids smile, so it's a great time."

According to the Patriots website, some of the players interacting with the children included Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen, Deatrich Wise, LaAdrian Waddle, Adam Butler, Marquis Flowers, and more.

Some of the players even gave out free riding lessons to some of the children.

Patriots players, CarMax & Blue Star Families surprised the kids of active military members with brand new bikes today after practice. @hollister_jacob even gave some lessons pic.twitter.com/FhjrEw1pLs

— Angelique Fiske (@angeliquefiske) July 26, 2018

You can see more photos of the day here.