Nashville, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The Nashville Predators hockey team, longtime supporters of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, donated 600 Chick-fil-A meals to feed hospital employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As part of the Predators’ “Eat with Us” initiative to support heroes battling the global pandemic, the meals were made possible through the Predators’ 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, created by goaltender Pekka Rinne and former Predators’ captain Shea Weber.

The meals also come on the heels of a week of virtual visits from Predators’ players – Rinne, Kyle Turris and Austin Watson – who virtually visited on different days with patients and families at Children’s Hospital, made possible through technology in Seacrest Studio.

Maggie Brown, MBA, picks up food at The Nashville Predators, in partnership with Chik-Fil-A, are donating 600 meals to staff at Children’s Hospital. They will deliver 200 meals at a time for three different shifts. Will be picked up by one employee to bring back to different units, to encourage social distancing. Photos by: Susan Urmy
Mamie Shepherd, program Manager, Seacrest Studios, and Lindsay Dugger, Child Life Assistant, thank the The Nashville Predators, in partnership with Chik-Fil-A, are donating 600 meals to staff at Children’s Hospital. They will deliver 200 meals at a time for three different shifts. Will be picked up by one employee to bring back to different units, to encourage social distancing. Photos by: Susan Urmy
Emily Riley, Family Resources, Mamie Shepherd, program Manager, Seacrest Studios, Tori Bowman, Child Life Assistant, Lindsay Dugger, Child Life Assistant, help deliver food form The Nashville Predators, in partnership with Chik-Fil-A, are donating 600 meals to staff at Children’s Hospital. They will deliver 200 meals at a time for three different shifts. Will be picked up by one employee to bring back to different units, to encourage social distancing. Photos by: Susan Urmy
The Nashville Predators, in partnership with Chik-Fil-A, are donating 600 meals to staff at Children’s Hospital. They will deliver 200 meals at a time for three different shifts. Will be picked up by one employee to bring back to different units, to encourage social distancing. Photos by: Susan Urmy

The Predators also teamed up with Dunkin’ to provide free coffee for medical professionals working on the front line. On 10 days over the next month, the first 100 local health care professionals to show their medical ID badges at Dunkin’ locations on 21st Avenue or Elliston Place will receive a free cup of coffee courtesy of the Predators and players Rinne, Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi. They all pledged $1,000 per day to purchase coffee for hospital employees at the participating locations.

 Over the past eight years combined, the Nashville Predators team has given more than $2 million in donations and in-kind contributions to Children’s Hospital and its programs. Every year the team raises money through the 365 Fund to support pediatric cancer research.

In addition to their gifts, the Predators have supported Children’s Hospital in many other ways, including players’ frequent visits with patients at the hospital; Flashes of Hope and Beads of Courage programs for patients; and during the 2020 season, each home game featured the Vanderbilt Health Champ of the Game, where fans were introduced to a patient from Children’s Hospital via the jumbotron.