New Year's Eve
Dec. 31, 2024 | 1:00-1:30pm (Eastern)
1731 Bunker Hill Rd. NE
Washington, D.C. 20017
Celebrate the resilience of the region’s youngest patients at the unveiling of a new bell for the Children’s National Hospital network. The bell, cast in brass and engraved with the familiar bear logo, will be sounded when patients reach significant milestones in their treatment and recovery.
A hospital stay can be taxing on anyone, but especially for children and teens. After the uncertainty of a diagnosis, the strain of a rigorous treatment program, and the exhaustion of a stay away from home, it can be a great relief to close such a difficult chapter. The ringing of a bell is a celebration of this accomplishment.
A patient’s bell ringing ceremony is often public, including the patient's family, friends, the staff who cared for them, and other patients undergoing similar treatment. After what can be a scary and uncomfortable time, the bell represents joy, relief, accomplishment, and support. Often, a simple, inspirational poem is recited to accompany the bell ringing.
The National Bell Festival is proud to recognize moments to cheer, large and small, with the commission and installation of this new bell at Children’s National, together with a roving heart-shaped stand to meet patients no matter where they are across the hospital complex.
Here’s to keeping kids happy and healthy!
About Children’s National Rehabilitation & Specialized Care
Rehabilitation & Specialized Care is a children's specialty program in Washington, D.C., that services children from infancy through age 21. The specialized department within the Children’s National Hospital system provides easy access to a range of family-centered medical and therapy services to meet children’s needs.
The center also provides care for children who are leaving a traditional hospital and aren’t quite ready to be cared for at home. Rehabilitation & Specialized Care is the only pediatric program in the national capital area dedicated exclusively to providing rehabilitation and transitional care for children and adolescents.
