When Madigan Army Medical Center Commander Col. Jerome (Jerry) Penner III brought up the idea of forming some kind of singing group at the hospital, his leadership didn't know quite what to think.

"My senior leaders were like, ‘This guy has lost his mind,'" Penner said with a smile.

Inspired by the 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus out of Fort Bragg, N.C., the determined colonel charged ahead anyway.

After finding a volunteer director and completing an audition process, the 31-member Care With Compassion Singers was formed in June.

It took just one performance by the group to vindicate Penner in his leadership's eyes.

"One of the guys came to me after he heard them sing on the first day, and he said, ‘You know what? I didn't think it was going to work, but you've made me a believer,'" Penner said.

Consisting of Madigan civilian and military employees with a wide variety of musical backgrounds, the a cappella group prides itself on its diversity.

"We have gospel singers, classically trained singers, and those who've sang in a barbershop quartet," said director Bonnie Graves, who's also the arts chair for the Madigan Red Cross. "There are many different personalities."

With three performances to its credit, the group is already starting to gel. It's sung at a retirement ceremony and recently performed a singing skit at Madigan's Organization Day on Aug. 13. The group is scheduled to make an appearance at a celebration next month at an anniversary party for Tacoma's iconic Stadium Bowl.

"It's just a great honor (to be part of it)," said Holly Diaz, an Air Force spouse who works in the Nisqually Family Clinic and helped lead and coordinate a singing group of U.S. soldiers while her husband was stationed in Germany. "I had this (previous singing) experience under my belt, and I had been waiting for an opportunity to utilize it."

Care With Compassion Singers has given civilian Doug Leander a chance to continue doing something he loves while meeting new people in his workplace.

"I'm about doing new things, and it's exposed me to a whole new group of people," said Leander, who works in the hospital's Department of Radiology.

The group serves as not only a morale builder within but also as a shining representation of Madigan within the community, said Tom Bradbury, the hospital's community relations officer.

"The goal was to have a group that represents the hospital - they're either civilian employees or uniform staff members - and just kind of a creative outlet for them and to go out into the community and show that we're more than just a big white building here," Bradbury said.

Although participation is strictly voluntary, the group practices twice per week, and Graves produces and coordinates each singing piece and accompanying act.

"I take it very seriously," said Graves, who has a bachelor's degree in music, a master's in theater and previously directed the Air Force Academy's cadet choir.

Future plans include lending the group's talents to I Corps for ceremonies, caroling within the building during the holiday season and continuing to venture out into the local community as part of the hospital's commitment to being an engaged community partner, Penner said.

"It's exciting to see where it's going to go," Diaz said.