NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Health care heroes from Middle Tennessee will be among the 7,500 vaccinated health care workers chosen to attend the Super Bowl this year in Tampa, Florida.
The NFL is inviting thousands of vaccinated health care workers to the big game as a gesture of gratitude.
The Tennessee Titans may not be playing in the big game, but they are sending four very deserving healthcare workers after what has been the most challenging year of their lives.
News 2 spoke with one of the lucky four, Sharon Alvarez, who has served as a nurse for 36 years. She currently works as an ICU managing nurse at Saint Thomas Midtown.
Alvarez is known for being her staff’s greatest support during good times and bad. She was the first staff member at Saint Thomas Midtown to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
She is a diehard Titans fan since 1998 and a former season ticket holder— in fact, the first game she attended was the Music City Miracle. Alvarez said football has always been her escape from tough times.
Alvarez is hoping to be down near the field and get to see the players up close as they warm up, especially Tom Brady, but at end of the day she’s very grateful to be going.
“I think it’s great, I’ve heard a lot of my staff and a lot of the people in the hospital have kind of gotten the message the NFL is honoring health care workers this year and the fact that in a COVID year there aren’t even going to be that many people even in the stadium as there normally would be, 7500 of those people are going to be health care workers, I think is great,” said Alvarez.
The other three Middle Tennessee heroes to attend will be:
- Christie Muliford – Physical Therapist at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West
- Wes Frisbee – Patient Care Technician at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford
- Leslie Johnson – Critical Care Paramedic with Ascension Saint Thomas EMS
