FOXBORO - Dyanne Spatcher and Sheila McKenna, neighbors and retired teachers at Attleboro High School, arrived early at Gillette Stadium yesterday morning, eager to secure a good view of the New England Patriots before the team left for sunny Arizona and Super Bowl XLII.

“I came for the sendoff three years ago, and I told myself I would never miss another one,” Spatcher said, as she hustled through the parking lot at 9:30 a.m. She pointed to the long Patriot jersey, emblazoned with number 54, that she wore over layers of winter clothing.

“I like [Tedy] Bruschi,” Spatcher said. “I have horses and pygmy goats at home and I named one of the goats Bruschi. He’s my linebacker.”

Stadium security estimated that 30,000 Patriots fans converged on Gillette, filling more than half of the lower level. Organizers, who said they had expected about 6,000 people to show up for the sendoff, opened more and more sections of seating as fans of all ages poured in for the 10 a.m. event.

It was the largest sendoff yet for a team that won the right to play four Super Bowl games in seven years. Fans awash in blue-and-red jackets, hats and earmuffs relished the chance to relive favorite moments of the season as they flashed on giant video screens. Patriots cheerleaders and the Minutemen who fire muskets before every game entertained the crowd.

Steady snowfall and chilly temperatures failed to deter fans who came to celebrate a piece of football history — a perfect season of 18 wins.

“I just want them to see this history in the making, so they can say they remember when this happened,” said Peter Geleme, of Boston, who brought his two young children and three of their friends to the sendoff.

“It has been like a dream come true,” said Michael Nolan, of Cranston. “This season has been sports heaven.”

After an hour of video clips and rock music, longtime Patriots’ radio announcer Gil Santos took the stage. Santos served as master of ceremonies at the rally, which was free and featured several dignitaries, including Rhode Island Governor Carcieri.

Calling the undefeated Patriots “the greatest team in the history of the National Football League,” Santos recited the team’s “extraordinary statistics.”

“Eighteen in a row, that’s something that’s never been done in 88 years of the NFL,” Santos said. “This is a great team because no one cares who gets the credit … They are selfless.”

Santos elicited boos when he mentioned the team the Patriots will face in Arizona next Sunday, the New York Giants, but soon the crowd was cheering again.

“What a ride we are on,” Santos said over the din. “It’s beyond our wildest dreams.”

Massachusetts Governor Patrick said the Patriots’ perfect season “has made us so proud, so excited, so unified.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft recalled buying the team 15 years ago with the hope of making it to a championship game.

“We’ve gone to five in 11 years, and all of them are special,” Kraft said. “But this one has the chance to be the most special. We hope to come back from Arizona perfect — 19 and 0.”

The crowd reserved its biggest applause for coach Bill Belichick, who had to delay his characteristically terse remarks as thousands got to their feet chanting “Bill! Bill!”

“You should know you have a great group of players … and no one has given you more than this group of players,” Belichick said, when the cheering died down. “I’m sure they’ll give you more this week.”

Despite freezing temperatures, the Patriots walked onto the snowy field bareheaded and wearing suits. Some players held video cameras, taping the crowd and savoring the moment.

All eyes turned to MVP quarterback Tom Brady, who was seen walking in a boot cast one day last week, sparking anxiety among fans. Santos introduced Brady as “the guy with the most photographed foot in the world,” as Brady walked up to the podium without a sign of injury.

“It has been an incredible season,” Brady told the fans. “We have received the best support in the world from you, and we are going to Arizona to win and bring back the trophy to Foxboro.”

After the speeches, the team boarded buses to Boston’s Logan International Airport.

The well-orchestrated event was far grander than previous Super Bowl sendoffs.

Three years ago, a few thousand fans gathered in the parking lot behind the stadium to cheer the team before the Patriots headed to Jacksonville, Fla., for the 39th Super Bowl, where they beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21.

In 2004, fans simply gathered behind barricades and watched the team board buses to Logan. That year the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers, 32-29, in a game some sports writers at the time called the most exciting Super Bowl to date.

The Patriots, with rookie quarterback Brady, won their first Super Bowl in 2002, against the St. Louis Rams, 20-17.

Yesterday, fans sipped free coffee and hot chocolate donated by Dunkin’ Donuts, waved printed “GO PATS” signs and spoke with confidence about a repeat of those victories.

“Oh, I love the Patriots, they are our hometown team,” said Elaine Poplawski, of Quincy, Mass., who brought seven of her grandchildren with her. “We have to be here to root them on. We will all be watching the game together next week, and the Patriots will definitely win.”

jjordan@projo.com