Brodey Dollarhyde, 7, visits with She-Ra of the cartoon, She-Ra: Princess of Power, played by Abby Sollars, and Ant-Man, played by Hank Pym, of the Portland Superheroes Coalition. The volunteer group visited the Pope’s Kids Place Early Learning Center Saturday for an event called Superheroes for Superkids.
Josiah Marzoff, 6, gets a high five from Iron Man, played by Brady Gage, of the Portland Superheroes Coalition. The volunteer group visited the Pope’s Kids Place Early Learning Center Saturday for an event called Superheroes for Superkids.
Members of the Portland Superheroes Coalition, including group leader Brady Gage, left, dressed as Iron Man, and a volunteer dressed as Spiderman, visited Pope’s Kids Place Early Learning Center Saturday for an event called Superheroes for Superkids.
Stella Evanoff, 4, meets superheroine She-Ra, of the cartoon, She-Ra: Princess of Power, played by Abby Sollars of the Portland Superheroes Coalition. Members of the volunteer group dressed as several familiar superheroes visited the Pope’s Kids Place Early Learning Center Saturday for an event called Superheroes for Superkids.
Everybody’s different — especially superheroes — and that’s OK.
That’s the message Pope’s Kids Place staff hoped kids would take home from the Superheroes for Superkids event Saturday, said Early Learning Center Program Director Diane Anderson.
“They really just gravitated to it,” said Shawna Bruce of Pope’s Kids Place community relations. “It’s a positive thing.”
Volunteers from the Portland Superheroes Coalition dressed up as heroes including Iron Man, She-Ra, Spider-Man, Ant-man and Hawkgirl and visited with children at Pope’s Kids Place for several hours Saturday.
The group visits children in hospitals, fundraisers, schools and community events, said member Brady Gage, who dressed as Iron Man Saturday.
“We go where we’re invited,” he said of the all-volunteer group.
The Portland Superheroes Coalition also donated 50 coloring books and 50 packs of crayons to Pope’s Kids Place.
Gage said their main goal is to make people happy. He said the costumes make some shy kids come out of their shells, but could have the opposite effect on other children.
“Every reaction is different,” he said.
This is the first time Pope’s Kids Place has hosted the superhero group.
“We took it as a whole month,” Bruce said. “The kids explored different superheroes.”
The children talked about what their superpowers would be, and made superhero-themed kites and decorations for the facility’s classrooms, she said.
