Meet Cindy Comperry-Director of Friends

Cindy Comperry is the Director of Friends at Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.  Friends & Fashion holds two big events each year.  Sundae with Friends with takes place on Sunday, April 12th at the Embassy Suites in Franklin. It is an afternoon for mothers and daughters to enjoy fun activities and, of course, a sundae.  On Monday, April 13th,  Friends and Fashion show takes place at Embassy Suites where supporters of Friends can enjoy lunch and a fashion show, which is now in it s25th year. We sat down with Cindy to learn more about her role and  how it all began in Williamson County.

WS: Can you tell us about your role as the Director of Friends for Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital?

Comperry: I would love to as I feel like I have the best job in the world! I work with dedicated volunteer members of Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The organization’s mission is to support the hospital through fundraising, outreach and patient and family support. There is typically at least one Friends activity occurring each week throughout the year. Ranging from large events like Friends & Fashion, to weekly meals being served to families in the hospital, to recruiting teenage ambassadors to coordinate donation drives, Friends is an active part of the hospital’s work. It is an honor for me to work alongside some of this area’s most dedicated volunteers to accomplish this special mission of supporting Children’s Hospital and its patients and their families.

WS: How long has the Friends and Fashion event taken place and how has it grown?

Comperry: This is the 25th Anniversary of the show. The event began as a small fashion show and lunch for Williamson County women. Thanks to the efforts of the Friends volunteers through the years, the event has grown to become a weekend of activities, with an estimated 800 guests from the whole region participating in some way. This growth was made possible by the creativity of the volunteers, such as in 2010, Friends & Fashion co-chairs, Julie Casteel and Linzi McConnell, added an evening party. That event grew to become a stand-alone event for Friends, now known as An Evening With Friends, occurring each Fall. Likewise thanks to Jodi Rall, who chaired the 2012 event, a mother/daughter event, Sundae With Friends, began. Through the years, additions of an auction, incorporating more children who have been hospital patients and other mission moments throughout the show have also impacted the event’s growth. It’s fun to watch each year as new volunteers come onto the committee and bring new ideas to facilitate even more growth.

WS: What keeps you motivated in your role?

Comperry: About six months after I was hired as the Friends Director, one of my closest friends’ daughter was diagnosed with ALL (leukemia). Walking alongside them throughout her treatment showed me first-hand how the care at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is special, not just for the child, but for the whole family. There are so many stories that I am honored to share, from a volunteer sharing with me about her son’s trip to the Emergency Department, to being able to see a child’s eyes light up when Santa enters his hospital room during the holidays, to watching the children who have been patients at Children’s Hospital walk the Friends & Fashion runway alongside professional models. All I have to do is think of these stories or picture the smiles on the faces of patients and families when they are helped by a Friends’ program during their time of stress, and I’m motivated and appreciate being able to make a difference with our Friends volunteers.

WS: What is something that people might not know about you?

Comperry: My family moved to West Tennessee when I was young, but my father was a minister in Franklin when I was born, so I can claim being a Williamson County native! I also wouldn’t trade being a “preacher’s kid” for anything, as watching him have a “calling” instead of a “job” has taught me so much about how I should view my own career.

WS: How can we get involved with Friends of Vanderbilt program?

Comperry: We love new Friends members! Once a member joins ($50 per year), then he or she is invited to participate in a myriad of opportunities, based on the member’s time and where they would like to participate. From helping with a patient activity to serving on an event committee to being an “on-call” volunteer for outreach initiatives, we can use the help. But, even if a member has no time to volunteer, their annual dues help support all of the Friends’ programs. So, no matter if someone joins as an active volunteer or just as a means of financial support, every Friend of Children’s Hospital is making a difference in the lives of more than 1,400 children impacted daily through Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and their families! Visit us at:www.childrenshospital.vanderbilt.org/friends to find out more, or to join this amazing group of volunteers!

Thanks so much Cindy for sharing more about Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.  Soon, the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Williamson Medical will be open to serve  the Williamson County area and beyond.  We will keep you up to date as we have more information regarding the opening of the hospital.

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