NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marcus Mariota, in partnership with Saint Thomas Health and Ascension, has given $5,000 to Maplewood High School's football team.  Students from Maplewood High greeted Marcus last week to personally thank him and present a framed #1 Maplewood Mariota jersey to show their appreciation for his contribution to their football team. 

The donation comes from Mariota's Motiv8 Foundation, which aims to create and support economic and educational programs and athletic activities to provide an alternative outlet for youth of troubled neighborhoods and backgrounds. 

"It's important to give back to the community," said Mariota.  "To create excitement for a high-schooler and to give back to a school that needs it is important to me."

"Anytime you have someone that wants to support the kids is always special," Maplewood head football coach Arcentae Broome said.

For more than 10 years, Saint Thomas Health, part of **Ascension**, the nation's largest Catholic and non-profit health system, has been a supporter and sponsor of Maplewood High School, a Community Achieves School, through the Academies of Nashville program.  The nearly $500,000 renovation project of creating an on-site health clinic at the school is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2017.

"We are so grateful for our relationship with Marcus and his Motiv8 Foundation," said Karen Springer, president & CEO of Saint Thomas Health, senior vice president of Ascension.  "Marcus and his family are so generous and the Motiv8 Foundation aligns so well with our own Mission. His donation to the Maplewood football team is just another example of his character and his commitment to football, family, faith and kids". Saint Thomas Health is building a walk-in health clinic inside Maplewood High School, which will be open to the public, will be staffed by Saint Thomas Health physicians, nurse practitioners and medical assistants.  The clinic will be 2,935 square feet and will utilize unused space at the school.  The clinic, named Saint Thomas Medical Partners Maplewood, will offer tremendous benefits to the students of Maplewood High School and the surrounding community. 

ABOUT SAINT THOMAS HEALTH

Saint Thomas Health is Middle Tennessee's faith-based, not-for-profit health care system united as one healing community. Saint Thomas Health is focused on transforming the healthcare experience and helping people live healthier lives, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. The regional health system includes nine hospitals: Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery, Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital and Saint Thomas West Hospital in Nashville, Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital in Murfreesboro, Saint Thomas Hickman Hospital in Centerville, Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital in Smithville, Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital in Sparta, Saint Thomas River Park Hospital in McMinnville and Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital in Woodbury. A comprehensive network of affiliated joint ventures, medical practices, clinics and rehabilitation facilities complements the hospital services and covers a 68-county area. Saint Thomas Health is a member of Ascension, a Catholic organization that is the largest not-for-profit health system in the United States. For more information, visit www.STHealth.com.

ABOUT ASCENSION

Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2016, Ascension provided more than $1.8 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 150,000 associates and 36,000 aligned providers. Ascension's Healthcare Division operates 2,500 sites of care – including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities – in 24 states and the District of Columbia, while its Solutions Division provides a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension's own group purchasing organization.