In Rockford, Illinois, one kind-hearted man decided to don a Superman outfit to warm people’s hearts. Of course, not all superheroes wear capes, but some of them do!
When he ventures out into the city dressed in the outfit, people instantly smile and take pictures of the anonymous Superman. He didn’t come to save the town but to spark joy and reignite people’s playful spirits.
“I walked past this big rack of Superman capes, and since I was a small child, I always wanted a full-sized Superman cape. So I grabbed the cape and went out on my motorcycle,” he said. “I was just gonna have fun with it for just a few minutes, you know? Five or ten minutes into the first motorcycle ride, I’d gotten like ten thumbs up, a bunch of honks, waves, people hanging out the windows, smiling.”
So, it seemed to go even better than he thought! After that, he decided to upgrade the costume and hit the streets again.
Illinois Man Dresses as Superman to Make People Smile
“I’m like, ‘These people think it’s just as much fun as I do!’ But I didn’t have a Superman shirt, so I turned around, went back to the store, and bought a Superman shirt,” he said.
He has a lot of fun driving his motorcycle throughout the city and dressing up as Superman. Plus, others seem to get a kick out of it, so he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He ventures out into the city once every couple of weeks for the Superman shenanigans. And, he never knows what kind of reaction he’ll get from onlookers.
“I pulled up to a light one time, and this lady pulled up next to me, and she was crying. I’m like, ‘Are you okay?’ She had her face in her hands, and she looked up and went, ‘That’s the funniest thing I’ve seen all week!’ I mean, she was laughing that hard. She was crying!”
When you can make someone laugh so hard that they start to cry, you know you’ve done an excellent job! We don’t laugh enough in this world, and this man decided to do something about that. We need more people like him!
He says he realizes some people are probably laughing at him, but most are laughing with him. He doesn’t care either way, though, as long as it brings a smile to someone’s face. It lifts his spirits to know he can make people laugh, even if it’s just for a moment.
“Even for five seconds, make them smile, make them laugh, do something kind for somebody,” he says. “If everybody did that, I mean everybody, it would be a much better place to be.”
He’s Not the Only Superman in Illinois
In February 2015, then 7-year-old Bryce Schottel had been diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. Little did he know that two months later, a superhero would come to town and restore hope to him and his family.
He’d already been through three rounds of chemotherapy at the time and was scheduled for a fourth. During that difficult time, he turned to superheroes to lift his spirits. His favorite? Superman, according to his mom Regina Carlton.
Soon, her son would meet a real-life Superman, much to his surprise. After coming across Bryce’s picture and story online, police senior corporal Damon Cole in Dallas wanted to help somehow.
He already had experience dressing as Superman and other superheroes for “Heroes, Cops, and Kids.” So, he decided to contact Bryce’s family and ask if he could visit him in April. Of course, he planned on wearing his full costume and even decorated his car with the Superman theme!
His family wholeheartedly agreed and couldn’t wait to see their son’s reaction. So, Cole drove 11 hours from Dallas to Bryce’s hometown of Smithton, Illinois, where he surprised the young boy at his home. He wore his Superman costume as promised and even gave Bryce a collectible Superman figurine.
Bryce couldn’t believe someone had driven from so far away just to cheer him up. When he saw Cole’s Superman-themed car, he became even more ecstatic about the whole thing.
Of course, Cole couldn’t leave without a bit of bonding time with Bryce, especially considering he’d driven 11 hours. The two blew bubbles, played cards, and enjoyed some video games together. Before Cole left, he gave Bryce a parting gift of one of his prized Superman capes.
Cole said he could hardly tell Bryce was sick because he “had such a positive attitude,” according to an interview with ABC News.
Cole also planned to visit St. Louis Children’s Hospital during his time in Illinois. He would wear his Man of Steel gear this time to surprise Bryce and the other children there.
Bryce’s mom was blown away by Cole’s generosity and kindness. She told ABC that there aren’t many people left like him anymore who would go out of their way for a complete stranger.
The family encourages the public to donate to cancer research and children’s hospitals worldwide.
Final Thoughts on People Dressing As Superheroes to Make Others Smile
It’s not every day you get to meet Superman. But when you do, you never forget it. You often see kind citizens wearing superhero outfits in places like nursing homes or children’s hospitals, as Cole did. Since we associate superheroes with bravery and kindness, it’s easy to see why children look up to them.
However, we can all benefit from seeing someone dressed as a superhero, especially when they’re driving a motorcycle! The man from the first story also boosted people’s spirits simply by wearing the Superman costume. The bike also added to the “cool” factor of the ensemble, making people turn their heads when it passed by.
So, if you want to make people smile, wear a Superman outfit the next time you go out. You will undoubtedly bring joy to anyone who sees you!
