April 12, 2010
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If Commodore coach Bobby Johnson felt awkward posing for pictures with four Walmart employees clad in Tennessee orange Monday, he sure didn’t show it.
Instead, he praised the four – and nearly 150 more employees of local Walmart and Sam’s Club stores – at an appreciation luncheon and Children’s Miracle Network campaign kickoff event hosted at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Johnson saluted the ongoing efforts of Walmart and Sam’s Club employees in Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network that benefits many children’s hospitals, including Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Through its “$1 For One Child At A Time” sales pitch to store shoppers, local Walmart and Sam’s Club stores have contributed $4.6 million to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital since 1988. Johnson and Dr. Kevin B. Churchwell, CEO and Executive Director of Children’s Hospital, both praised local employees for their 2009 fundraising total of $363,826.
“You are having an incredible impact on children’s lives,” Johnson said. “All of you are to be congratulated for raising this amount of money. It says so much about your employees.”
As Walmart and Sam’s Club prepares to kickoff their six-week national Children’s Miracle Network fundraising drive, the Vanderbilt coach urged local stores to raise 2010 expectations.
“What all of you have accomplished is fantastic. But as a coach, I’d encourage you to reach for higher goals, so that even more children may benefit,” Johnson added.
During the event, Johnson and Dr. Churchwell, and musicians The Carter Twins also congratulated representatives of local stores that raised $10,000 or more during the 2009 campaign.
Walmart and Sam’s Club are national sponsors of Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals across North America. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital of Vanderbilt is one of 170 Children’s Miracle Network hospitals that provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind.
