Maddie & Tae Partner with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Nashville
Nashville, TN – Yesterday, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the Nashville Predators and CMA Award winning duo Maddie & Tae launched “Shine Bright,” a letter-writing campaign within Middle Tennessee. Now through the end of January, booths will be set up at various events and locations in the community, where people may write “Words That Shine,” to encourage Children’s Hospital patients, their families and the hospital’s staff. The initiative serves to engage the local community, show support to caregivers and brighten a patient’s day. “It’s a great pleasure to partner with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on such an important campaign,” said Nashville Predators President and COO Sean Henry. “Words have the power to be transformative, and the collective voices of our community toward the patients and those who care for them will be a strong reminder that they have an entire community behind them.” Maddie & Tae, the CMA award winning duo, serve as artist ambassadors for the “Shine Bright” program. “Fly,” their empowering second hit, is featured throughout the campaign to encourage patients and their families. “The work Children’s Hospital does for patients and their families in Middle Tennessee is amazing,” says Maddie Marlow. “We used to visit the hospital to entertain the kids before we got our record deal, so we’re honored to be part of a campaign that helps support and encourage the incredible medical staff who care for these children.” “Writing a letter to provide encouragement to a sick child or express appreciation for their caregivers is a small act, but means so much to the people who receive them,” adds Tae Dye. “When we can lift up a child who’s struggling, or show someone who works tirelessly how much they matter, that’s a pretty big deal – and the Shine Bright Campaign makes it all the easier to do just that.” Upcoming “Shine Bright” letter writing dates and booth locations in Middle Tennessee include: Dec. 3 – Predators vs. Panthers at Bridgestone Arena Dec. 4 – TSSAA BlueCross Bowl at Tucker Stadium/Cookeville, TN Dec. 5 – TSSAA BlueCross Bowl at Tucker Stadium/Cookeville, TN Dec. 6 – Music City Invitational Swim Meet at Centennial Sportsplex Dec. 8 – Women in Business Mixer at Homestead Manor Dec. 9 – Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball vs Dayton at Memorial Gym Dec. 10 – Predators vs. Blackhawks at Bridgestone Arena Dec. 12 – Music City WinterFest at Centennial Park Dec. 15 – Predators vs. Flames at Bridgestone Arena Feb. 18 – Ice rink/Family night at Walk of Fame Park Visit www.ShineBright.org for a full list of dates and locations. Families can also visit www.ShineBright.org to create and share a custom “Shine Bright” photo for social media. Everyone who posts their photo publicly to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #ShineBright will be entered into a weekly contest to win Nashville Predators prizes through the end of January. “We are incredibly grateful for the continued support and generosity of our community partners—the Nashville Predators and Maddie & Tae,” said John W. Brock III, surgeon-in-chief for Children’s Hospital, director of Pediatric Urology and Monroe Carell Jr. Professor. “Caring for children requires a true community effort—from the doctors, nurses and staff at the Children’s Hospital to the friends, families and neighbors of Nashville and beyond. We could not do the work we do every day without their support. The letters that will be delivered to patients will go a long way to brighten the day for a lot of children.” Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2004, is Middle Tennessee’s only freestanding children’s hospital as well as the region’s only comprehensive pediatric health care provider, currently employing 2,500 faculty and staff, including 425 full-time pediatricians and pediatric specialists skilled in 30 pediatric medical and surgical specialties. For nine consecutive years, Children’s Hospital has ranked among the nation’s top pediatric centers in the annual U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals. For 2015, Children’s Hospital achieved national rankings for a maximum 10 out of 10 pediatric specialty programs, with half of those specialties among the top 20 in the country. For additional information about the “Shine Bright” campaign and how you can get involved, please visit www.ShineBright.org.
