“Each time my husband, Brian, and I visit the children at UMMD, we are all too aware of these kids being forced into such an adult setting at such a young age. We wanted to give the kids an opportunity to be themselves and enjoy a bright, colorful day even though they were in the hospital. The Princess Party turned out to be a great success! The little girls felt like they were starring in a fairy tale for the day. It was really nice to see their faces light up and watch them enjoy their time being pampered in the “Princess Spa.”

Special thanks to Sarah McGee of Visual Changes Salon & Spa in Ellicott CIty, MD and Colleen Claytor at Glossy Boutique for their help with the Princess Party!

Sponsors:

Chef Jerry Edwards and the team from Chef’s Expressions for the meal and table settings.

Floweries & Fancies

Tony Barber of Let’s Do Linens

Tim Hinsche of Kathy Freundel Photography for photography

Tori Morse quartet

Staci Summers of Haute Cocoa for favors

Stephanie Bradshaw of Bradshaw Styling

Many thanks to the sponsors who made this event possible:

105.7 TheFan
Port Discovery Children’s Museum
The Flower Cart
Roy Rogers
Mr. Basement
ABC Party and Tent Rental

Special thanks to all the fans who donated toys for this event!!

Kits contain items including disposable gloves, soap, washcloths, flashlights, batteries, medications, water purification sachets, and personal notes of encouragement. Often, a simple note of encouragement lets caregivers know they are not alone and gives them the strength they need to continue caring for very sick people in every corner of the world.

Diana and I were so touched to learn that these caregivers will save every note they receive because it means so much that they know there is someone in America praying for them.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. They serve close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. To date, World Vision has trained and equipped over 77,000 caregivers. This year, 350,000 kits have been requested by World Vision field offices to support caregivers.

Diana and I are so honored to be a part of serving the poor and the sick alongside World Vision with the help of Gallery Church of Baltimore. This outreach would not have been possible without the help of Gallery Church.

For more information, please visit www.gallerychurchbaltimore.com or www.worldvision.org

BALTIMORE, MD (April 25, 2011) Some might think that Orioles’ Second Baseman, Brian Roberts is a hero to the young patients at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital but it’s actually quite the opposite. Roberts and his wife, Diana, had the opportunity to visit with their heroes in the “Forest” at the hospital Monday.

The “Forest” is a special place in the child life center at the hospital where tiny patients come to play, socialize, and escape their hospital rooms for a bit. And Monday, the trees made the perfect setting to hide lots of Easter Eggs. Children were greeted by colorful baskets, toys, games, decorations and, of course, plastic Easter eggs – about 1000 of them. There was also a visit from the Oriole Bird who was sporting giant bunny ears for the occasion.

As they hunted for eggs, colored in their books, decorated cupcakes, and picked out games to take back to their rooms, Brian and Diana could be seen speaking with parents and their children, patients and siblings alike. They even joined in the action, sprawling out on the floor with some of the kids to color pages in a coloring book. B Rob’s crayon of choice? The orange one, of course.

“These kids are truly amazing and teach me so much,” Roberts says, “They are a constant reminder of the blessings in my life. We all have bad days, but if a child so sick with cancer, or a heart condition can be this excited over a little plastic egg and some toys, then we can all certainly find joy each day amidst whatever our circumstances are. These children absolutely inspire my wife and me.”

Roberts, along with his wife, Diana, have made a commitment to continue and strengthen their support of the hospital and their pediatric patients through their newly established One-For-All Fund. Funds will be raised through various fundraisers including the annual event “Brian’s Baseball Bash” in July. More Information about the fund can be found on their recently launched, brand new website at www.OfficialBrianRoberts.com.

Brian Roberts is the Baltimore Orioles’ second baseman, a strong, agile, 31-year-old two-time All-Star. However, 26 years ago he was a frail little kid laying in a hospital bed and about to face open-heart surgery.

As many as 400,000 children in the United States have congenital cardiac abnormalities and undergo similar experiences to Roberts’. Unfortunately, the rising costs of health care and the global recession are straining some of the nation’s children’s hospitals.The Shriners Hospitals for Children, which have traditionally provided free care, announced in early July that they would begin accepting insurance and were considering downgrading some of their facilities into less expensive outpatient surgical centers. Roberts knows what it’s like to be a child facing a serious illness or injury. So he’s doing his part to make life a little brighter for patients at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children

On August 16, 2009 OriolesREACH and Brian Roberts hosted the Fourth Annual Brian’s Baseball Bash, a fundraising event for the University of Maryland Hospital for Children.

The special evening for fans at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore included silent and live auctions of sports memorabilia to help the children at UMHC. Through the hard work of Brian and the OriolesREACH team, and the generosity of Orioles fans, more than $450,000 has been raised since the first Bash in 2006. In addition, the Orioles have donated more than $20,000 to provide tickets for patients and their families.

BALTIMORE, MD (January 25, 2011) – Brian Roberts is most known for his on the field performance as the Orioles’ second baseman and in the clubhouse as one of the leaders of the team.  But it’s his off-the-field activities that make him a hero to some very special children in the Baltimore area.

For the past several years, Brian has visited the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital to bring smiles to some of his tiniest fans.  Roberts knows all too well what it’s like to be in their shoes.  You see, he was once one of them himself.  Many people don’t realize the now strong, agile athlete was a frail little 5 year old facing open-heart surgery.  Roberts, along with his wife, Diana, have made a commitment to continue and strengthen their support of the hospital and their pediatric patients through their newly established One-For-All Fund.  Funds will be raised through various fundraisers including the annual event “Brian’s Baseball Bash.”

Roberts is set to appear at the Orioles Fanfest this coming Saturday.  Thanks to the Orioles Reach Program, he and Diana will be hosting 15 families through the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital at Fanfest and are looking forward to reuniting with children they visited as patients there in the past.

“When it comes to my community efforts, I’m so thankful to be a part of a team like the Orioles.  They’ve been so generous in furthering my support of the hospital.  These kids and their families sometimes just need a reason to smile and my goal is to see every little face light up and forget about their illness for a while,” Roberts says.  “To see how they handle their situations with such optimism and courage is really inspiring to me.”

Roberts Co-Chairs the Board of Visitors for the Hospital with Chip Doetsch, who says, “Brian and his wife work earnestly and selflessly to ensure that the children of Baltimore receive the best care possible.”  Doetsch continues, “The part of Brian that is even more impressive than his talent as a player, is his character as a man.”

Shannon Joslin manages the Child Life Program at University of Maryland Children’s Hospital.  “I have had the pleasure of working with Brian and Diana to coordinate visits with children and families in the hospital, Joslin says, “as well as child/family attendance at special events outside of the hospital that are made possible by Brian and Diana and the Orioles – like Fanfest, the annual Baseball Bash, and Orioles games.  Brian and Diana understand the importance of treating the whole child – that play, laughter, and normal kid ‘celebrations’ are essential elements of the healing process along with medical care.  Brian and Diana have partnered with the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital on all levels to support the care of children and families – from providing financial support for the new hybrid cath lab in the treatment of children with cardiac conditions, to providing their time, resources and personal presence to join in the play at our Child Life Carnival.  We value the passion and dedication Brian and Diana exemplify with their ongoing support and involvement with children and families at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital.”