“Las Aguilas” (The Eagles) Bring Carnival Celebrations to St. Mary’s Kids

Young Latino’s Pass on a Legacy to the Kids of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children

The month long festivities of Carnival were celebrated throughout the Caribbean and Latin America during February; but they weren’t the only one’s heating up things.

The kids of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children got a little taste of the Carnival fever, and have become true masqueraders.

“Las Aguilas” (The Eagles), a group of young Latino’s working together to help spread a little joy to hospitalized children, brought the spirit of carnival to St. Mary’s kids on Saturday February 28th, during a fun-filled day of activities where the group showcased all the ingredients of a real carnival celebration.

To help some of New York area’s most seriously ill and injured children learn about carnival, the members of Las Aguilas re-enacted the festive season, as they arrived at the Bayside hospital with traditional decorations, music, food, costumes, souvenirs, dances, and arts & crafts projects.

St. Mary’s kids even got a chance to decorate their very own carnival masks which they wore as they danced and cheered to the traditional carnival tunes. They then gathered around and listened attentively as the group presented a video explaining what carnival means and how it is celebrated in different countries such as Ecuador, Brazil, Columbia, and the Dominican Republic.

Las Aguilas are recent graduates of Impacto Vital, a transformational educational company that is dedicated to encouraging people to explore beyond their unexpected and tap into an endless world of possibilities. “Impacto Vital exists to empower our beings to accomplish all that we set out to, and beyond” said Bolivar Nieto, a Las Aguilas member.

As part of Impacto Vital’s graduation process, members must first complete a series of training, one of which is called “The Legacy,” which means; to create, transform, build, and bring joy to those in need in the community. The members of Las Aguilas chose the children of St. Mary’s to pass on “The Legacy,” to, and couldn’t be happier with their choice.

“Seeing children with disabilities show this immense desire to live is just amazing and almost all of my team members were in tears,” said Bolivar. “We all agreed this was the best part of the whole Las Aguilas experience and we were truly blessed to have had this opportunity.”

This is definitely not the last of the Las Aguilas, as the group promises to return.

Now full fledged members of Impacto Vital, the Las Aguilas will continue to educate, empower, and transform human beings.