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For Frank Shane, now a freshman in college, founding Project Valentine Bear was a personal mission.
“I wanted to do something meaningful,” he said. “I always had a hard time talking about my sister having to go through Chemo, but this helped me come to terms with that.
“It let me say thanks to the cancer clinic that always had a bear and a smile for Raye.”
Last year, Shane founded the project to coincide with Catholic Schools Week at his high school, St. Mary’s High School, Independence.
His project aims to collect new teddy bears for children staying at Children’s Mercy Hospital and put a smile on children’s faces.
Last year, six area Catholic schools and other organizations participated in collecting 370 new bears for the hospital and 85 gently used bears for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
His sister Raye, a seventh grader at Holy Cross Catholic School in Historic Northeast, is co-chairing the project this year.
To date, 50 new bears have been collected and bears should be dropped off by Feb. 2 to Holy Cross or Northeast News.
Bears for Children’s Mercy must have their tags, but gently used bears will still be accepted for the sheriff’s department. Handmade Valentine’s Day cards are also being collected and Raye said cards should be non-religious and not related to illness.
“This is a wonderful project,” Holy Cross Principal Jean Ferrara said. “It’s one of our outreach possibilities and a way to give back to our communities.”
Shane encouraged people to donate.
“We know the economy is bad right now,” he said. “It may not seem like one bear is going to matter, but if there are 300 of us with just one bear, it gives a big impact.”
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