Farragut High School
Image via Wikipedia

Started in 1992 by local physician Dr. Charlie Barnett, Flu Shot Saturday has become an annual tradition in the Knoxville area for thousands of local residents to get a free flu shot.

While the shots are technically ‘free’, donations to the Knoxville News-Sentinel’s Empty Stocking Fund which provides food and Christmas toys to thousands of Knoxville families who might otherwise have an unhappy holiday are encouraged and most flu shot recipients drop a generous donation into the box.

BlueCross BlueShield insurance of Tennessee partially funds the event along with the Knoxville News Sentinel. Local Rotary clubs also help support the event with traffic direction, getting paperwork filled out, and other tasks

Doctor Barnett and his group enlist the help of fellow Knoxville medical professionals to actually administer the vaccine at 5 Knoxville area high schools.

This morning  Charlotte and I were in line around 9:20 AM on a rainy Saturday morning along with hundreds of others at Farragut High School for a flu shot.

Flu Shot Saturday at Farragut High School, Knoxville, TN

Flu Shot Saturday at Farragut High School, Knoxville, TN

Even though the lines were long they moved at a very good pace and we were in and out in less than 30 minutes. Great organization for such a large event but they’ve been doing it for 18 years now and have it down to a science.

I said hi to Dr. Charlie Barnett inside, he used to my parent’s physician. Charlie said crowds were huge this year and they were probably going to run out of vaccine in about an hour.

Inside Farragut High the lines continued.

Inside Farragut High the lines continued.

The Knoxville News Sentinel was on hand accepting donations for their Empty Stocking Fund, a great community fund that provides food and gifts to needy local folks around Christmas time.

Donations are accepted but flu shots are free for all, no donation required.

Donations are accepted but flu shots are free for all, no donation required.

My flu shot guy turned out to be the one between the two ladies with his hand raised.

My flu shot guy turned out to be the one between the two ladies with his hand raised.

curbside flu shots for those unable to walk inside

curbside flu shots for those unable to walk inside

And another Flu Shot Saturday is in the record books. I don’t know yet how may flu shots they gave but it has to be way up in the thousands. With the swine flu scare this year there were huge turnouts at all 5 area high school locations.
Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]