My Time: Children continue tradition of collecting bears for hospital patients

Lilian, 13, Meredith, 11, and James, 11, Rizek continued their tradition of collecting bears for patients at the Prince George's Hospital Center. Every other year since 2005 (Lilian's first birthday) the Rizeks have collected bears for the hospital instead of receiving gifts for their birthday. This year the Rizek children collected 50 bears — putting their total donations over the years to 320 bears.

Patients of the hospital's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center may choose a bear when they arrive at the Center. Bears are sometimes given to children served by other areas of the hospital, for example, burn patients entering the emergency room.

Cheryl Banks, an Annapolis resident and community educator/volunteer coordinator for the center, came up with the idea in the 1990s to give bears to patients as a way to ease their pain and help them through the healing and recovering process. Banks attended the party and shared the work of the center with parents.