Matt Light played in enough big games in his 11-year career with the New England Patriots to know what it means when the home team wins.

“There’s an amazing amount of good that comes out of winning,” he said in a phone interview. “Businesses around the Patriots do better. And I’ve talked to people whose kid is in the hospital, and when the Patriots win, their day is better.”

So when Light, and his Light Foundation, had the opportunity to team with the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation and the Davio’s Restaurant group in a raffle to send some fans to Super Bowl LIII and benefit local charities and hospitals, he didn’t hesitate.

For the second year in a row, the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center will be among the beneficiaries, along with Boston Children’s Hospital, the Greater Boston Food Bank and the Light Foundation.

Last year, the Gronk Foundation donated $25,000 to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in money raised through separate raffles for the AFC championship game and the Super Bowl. Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who along with his Patriots teammates will play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in Atlanta, spent an afternoon with the children at the hospital, teaching them how to spike a football.

“Donations like these help us continue to bring high-quality care to the children at BBCH,” said Susan Doliner, the Maine Med vice president for philanthropy, in a statement.

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According to Caroline Cornish, the communications manager at Maine Med, past donations have enabled the hospital to provide music programs, yoga and pet therapy for its young patients.

“This is a platform we use to help people,” said Light, an offensive tackle who retired in 2011 and is a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame. “And also, this is a cool way to capitalize on something as big as the Super Bowl. This is a case where you don’t have to have the most money.

“You go to a lot of these events and it tends to be whoever has the biggest checkbook who walks away with the biggest prize. This is the opposite. You can spend $10, $20 and if you win, you get the biggest prize.”

The drawing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, with two winners each getting two tickets to Super Bowl LIII, round-trip flights from Boston to Atlanta (or a $1,500 stipend if the winner is outside New England), a two- night hotel stay, Taste of NFL party tickets, NFL pregame party tickets and dinner at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse. A $10 donation gets you 10 entries into the raffle. Entries can be made at www.lighthouseraffle.org.

“This is a way to give back,” said Light. “I know the Light Foundation has benefited greatly from donations like this. And these charities will benefit as well.”

Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or:

mlowe@pressherald.com

Twitter: MikeLowePPH


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