Twenty HLAS Brothers. Forty bags. Two-thousand pounds of love!
On Wednesday November 29, 2023, Papa's and Wannabe’s gathered in Tampa, Florida. An evening at the Columbia restaurant in Ybor City kicked off this years trip to Havana, Cuba and Fica Vigía, the home of Ernest Hemingway. Per usual, good food and camaraderie filled the room as we prepared to wing our way to Havana the next day.
November 30. Our cadre successfully navigated their way through immigration and customs with only a few moments of inspection. After all, what were these bearded “look-a-likes” up too? Curious as they were, a successful passage was achieved and we traveled with Daniel, Ramon and Frank to the assigned private homes for the next few days taking a moment to absorb the culture, beauty and essence of this island country.
Saturday December 02. Nestled within the grounds of Fica Vigía, (Look Out Farm), in San Francisco de Paula Ward, Havana, the youth baseball team Estrellas de Guigui was waiting for our arrival for this year’s exhibition and annual celebration.
Few understand nor know of the mission of the Hemingway Look-a-Like Society. Our efforts for scholarship awards at the College of the Keys and support for the youth baseball team established by Ernest Hemingway for his sons and the children living in San Francisco de Paula are the primary recipients of these efforts each year.
We want to change this perspective and invite all who are curious and want to have fun to consider supporting these efforts and experience the joy and satisfaction of contributing to the growth and development of students at the College of the Keys and youth participating with the Gigi Stars.
This year our efforts have been nothing short of fantastic. The smiles, the laughter, the sparkle in the eyes of the children is the reward.
“For what are we born if not to aid one another?” ~ Ernest Hemingway
