Dean Steven Gabbe, left, and Dr. Jacek Hawiger congratulate Dr. Diane Mathis, the recent 2002 Boehringer-Ingelheim Distinguished Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences. Mathis, professor of Medicine at Harvard and Head of the Section on Immunology and Immunogenetics at the Joslin Diabetes Center, delivered two lectures and met with the faculty, fellows, and students in a series of meetings organized by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. (photo by Dana Johnson)
The events of Sept. 11 brought home an awareness that our nation’s fire and police departments are staffed with real heroes who are here to help us every day.
As a way to say thank you to Nashville’s emergency workers, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s nurses and other volunteers will be providing Thanksgiving dinner to all Nashville police officers, firefighters, and EMT personnel on duty that day.
“After the tragedy on Sept. 11 we all realized how precious lives can be, and that every day police officers, fire fighters and EMT’s put their lives on the line for us,” said Marlee Crankshaw, case manager in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the event’s organizer. “We have met with the Metro Nashville Police and Fire departments and they are excited we have made this commitment.”
Vanderbilt’s nurses and other volunteers will also be serving Thanksgiving dinner to Vanderbilt Security and Emergency Department workers on duty that day.
Crankshaw is seeking volunteers to help prepare and serve food at six fire stations. Volunteers will be offered the chance to serve at the fire station, or area of the city, of their choosing on a first-come, first-choice basis.
To volunteer contact Crankshaw at 343-1582 orCrankshaw@mcmail.vanderbilt.edu.