5 Things: Holocaust Survivor Visits Foxborough, Local Neighbor Brigade Launches, Former Patriots Coach Dies & More

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Editor's note: Five Things You Need To Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. If you know of something happening in town that did not make our list, please add it in the comment section!

1. Expect a Mostly Sunny Wednesday with a High Near 44 in Foxborough

Today’s weather in Foxborough, according to the National Weather Service based in Taunton, calls for mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph. Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24. West wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

2. Holocaust Survivor to Share Story with Foxborough Community Wednesday

The Foxborough Regional Charter School community will welcome a special guest to campus on April 3rd when Holocaust survivor Janet Singer Applefield comes to town.

The event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will feature Applefield's moving personal experiences throughout the Holocaust, as she and her family fought for survival. The event is open to the public. Visit her website here for a preview of her story.

3. Foxborough Neighbor Brigade Launches

Foxboro Neighbor Brigade is a growing network of volunteers helping individuals and families in a temporary crisis. The group’s goal is to build a strong, caring network of neighbors throughout the Foxborough community to support others in times of need such as serious illness, injury, or other tragic event.

Participation in Foxboro Neighbor Brigade provides an opportunity for you to help friends and neighbors as they face significant challenges. Volunteers can give as little or as much time as they have available. There is no pressure or obligation and there is no cost to become a volunteer. As new needs arise, an e-mail is automatically sent to all volunteers, and those who are able to participate can do so within the confines of their own schedules.

Having volunteers preparing and delivering meals, going to the store, running errands, driving to and from the hospital for appointments, taking care of the family pet or offering a simple act of kindness is worth more than words can say.

The group welcomes new volunteers at any time. New volunteers can join by going to www.neighborbrigade.org/chapters/FoxboroMA/. Once registered, volunteers sign in to the group’s volunteer site to view the kinds of outreach the community group does and to view any open needs within Foxborough.

When you or someone you know needs assistance from Foxboro Neighbor Brigade, contact Chapter Leader Pattiann Malynn at FoxboroMA@neighborbrigade.org.

4. Gretchen Wilson Coming to Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

Country musician Gretchen Wilson will be in Foxborough on April 26 to perform live at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill at Patriot Place. The show, which costs $27 (pre-order) and $30 at the door, begins at 7 p.m. The event is 21 and older. For more information, click here.

5. Former New England Patriots Coach Passes Away

Former New England Patriots head coach Chuck Fairbanks, 79, passed away on Tuesday after battling brain cancer.

Fairbanks served as head coach of the Patriots for six seasons from 1973 through 1978.

“As a Patriots season ticket holder, I remember the excitement that was generated by the hiring of Chuck Fairbanks from the University of Oklahoma in 1973,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “Coach Fairbanks gave the Patriots instant credibility. For Patriots fans of that era, Fairbanks was the Bill Parcells before Bill Parcells. Meaning, he did for the Patriots in the ‘70s what Bill Parcells did for the team in the ‘90s. He delivered the franchise’s first 11-win season in 1976 and earned a home playoff game after winning the division in 1978. It was the first time in franchise history that we hosted a playoff game. He introduced the 3-4 defense to the NFL during his Patriots tenure, which remains a part of his NFL legacy. It is a sad day for a generation of Patriots fans who enjoyed his era of coaching. My thoughts and prayers are with the Fairbanks family and all who mourn his loss.”

Fairbanks became the sixth head coach in team history when he joined the organization in the dual capacity of general manager and head coach on Jan. 26, 1973. His first NFL draft that year included Pro Football Hall of Fame guard John Hannah, Patriots Hall of Fame running back Sam Cunningham and wide receiver Darryl Stingley. Other Fairbanks picks included Ray Hamilton (1973), Steve Nelson (1974), Russ Francis (1975), Steve Grogan (1975), Mike Haynes (1976), Pete Brock (1976), Tim Fox (1976), Raymond Clayborn (1977), Stanley Morgan (1977) and Mosi Tatupu (1978) to name a few.

In 1976, after three patient years of rebuilding, he helped the Patriots reach the playoffs with an 11-3 record. It was the most wins in franchise history. The Patriots lost a close game on a controversial call to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders. Fairbanks led the Patriots to an AFC East title in 1978 with an 11-5 record and the team’s first home playoff game in franchise history, but the second-seeded Patriots lost to the Houston Oilers in an AFC Divisional playoff game. Fairbanks finished his career with the Patriots with a 46-39 regular season record and an 0-2 record in the postseason.

Fairbanks came to the Patriots from a successful career as a college football head coach. He led Oklahoma to a 52-15-1 record over six years, recording 11-1 records in 1971 and 1972. Prior to his term with Oklahoma, his coaching career had run the full cycle from the high school ranks through collegiate assistant and spanned more than two decades.

Fairbanks returned to college football for three seasons at the University of Colorado (1979-81) before being named head coach of the New Jersey Generals of the USFL in 1982.

Fairbanks was born in Detroit, Mich., on June 10, 1933. He attended Michigan State and was a member of the 1952 national champion team and the 1953 Big Ten championship team that defeated UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

Click here to watch the Patriots tribute video looking back at Fairbanks tenure in New England, which includes Bill Belichick’s thoughts on the former coach from last September.