Watch: Patriots Rookies Celebrate Founders Day

New England selected Henderson in the second round at pick No. 38. The Pats subsequently chose Williams [No. 69, third round,] Wilson [No. 95, third round,] Woodson [No. 106, fourth round,], Farmer [No. 137, fourth round], Borregales [No. 182, sixth round,] Bryant [No. 220, seventh round,], Ashby [No. 251, seventh round,] and Minor with the ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ choice at No. 257 overall. 

Founders Day is the biggest fundraising day for most of Foxborough’s non-profit organizations and is organized and funded by a small, but dedicated group of volunteer committee members. The day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June each year with a parade, festivities and food, live music and activities on Booth Field. It culminated with one of the most-anticipated fireworks displays in the area.

The story of Founders Day as we know it is firmly rooted in tradition; it is the successor to both Fireman’s Field Days, a previous incarnation of Founders Day, and a celebration that occurred after the soldier on top of Memorial Hall was returned to its proper place in 1987. A Founders Day Committee was subsequently formed, and the first modern Founders Day celebration was held in 1988, and has continued on ever since.

Patriots players annually participate in the parade by riding atop a ladder truck from the Foxborough fire department. Though the Pats rookies have typically required only one truck, the Pats rookies needed two for this year’s event, as first reported by the New England Football Journal.

New England’s draftees will join their fellow rookies and veterans at Gillette Stadium on Monday for the start of mandatory minicamp — which is scheduled to take place from June 9-11.