St. Mary’s Hospital for Children to
host two holiday events in Bayside
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | DEC. 13-19, 2019 5
BY JENNA BAGCAL
St. Mary’s Hospital for Children
in Bayside announced two feel-good
holiday events for patients and their
families this weekend.
On Friday, Dec. 13, local NYPD officers
return to St. Mary’s for their
seventh-annual Christmas visit. Officers
from all five boroughs, along
with the NYPD K9 Unit and a cast
of costumed characters, will spread
holiday cheer to children with a
slate of festive activities.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., children
and their families can participate
in caroling, arts and crafts and
memorable photo-ops.
Just outside the hospital, an
NYPD helicopter will perform an
exciting aerial flyover while Santa
Claus comes to town for a special
visit.
NYPD Detectives and married
couple Terry and Bernice Brienza
created this event in 2013 as a way
of making the holidays brighter for
children who were “stuck inside.”
The Brienzas and other officers
reached out to several area hospitals
including St. Mary’s.
“St. Mary’s was very opened to
the idea of us coming down here and
that was it. We came down, got amazing
feedback from both the hospital
and the cops that participated,” said
Terry Brienza.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, from 5 to 8
p.m., St. Mary’s will host its firstever
holiday festival, open to patients
and the Bayside community.
Proceeds from the family-friendly
event will go toward St. Mary’s,
which provides high-quality care to
children with complex and chronic
medical issues, regardless of a family’s
financial situation.
Attendees at Saturday’s event
will get to meet Santa, experience
festive light displays and enjoy arts
and crafts.
Participants can also get their
faces painted, sip on some hot chocolate
and step into a photo booth to
capture the holiday memories.
Tickets are $10 per person and $25
per family (up to five people.) Admission
for children ages three and under
is free. Each ticket is good for a
free cup of hot chocolate and kids receive
a free gift while supplies last.
Those interested in attending
can pay at the event in cash or check
only.
For more information, visit www.
stmaryskids.org.
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal by email
at jbagcal@qns.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
St. Mary’s is set to host two holiday events this weekend. Photo by Jenna Bagcal/QNS
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