Vanderbilt University School of Medicine students hope hundreds of participants will come out to support their student-run free health clinic at this year’s Shade Tree Trot on Saturday, April 20.
Registration is now open for the 5K fun run/walk through the Vanderbilt campus. If you can’t make it, students say this year there are other ways to give.
“Even if you are unable to attend the race, you can register with the ‘sleep-in’ option; you don’t have to be present on race day, but you’ll receive the official race T-shirt.
“Additionally, people can donate on the Shade Tree Clinic’s home page,” said Stessie Dort, a second-year medical student who serves as co-director of the Shade Tree Trot with fellow second-year medical student Shyam Deshpande.
The event has grown over the years and now serves as the single largest source of funding for the day-to-day operating expenses of the clinic, which provides free primary care to uninsured patients in East Nashville. Last year’s Trot raised more than $25,000.
“The money raised goes to support the purchasing of more than 200 medications, laboratory supplies, vaccines, transportation assistance, and more, all of which are provided to our patients at no cost,” said Matthew Stier, one of the student directors of the Shade Tree Clinic.
“Because our organization is managed and staffed by volunteers, every dollar raised is a dollar spent on services or interventions for our patients, allowing us to serve as their true medical home.”
The Clinic is entering its ninth year of service. More than 1,300 patients have received their primary care through the clinic, while at the same time, students and faculty work to train the next generation of providers from multiple health-related fields.
For more information or to register for this year’s Shade Tree Trot, go to https://shadetreeclinic.org/trot/.
