Life SF Morphs Into Gotham City for "Batkid" Battling Leukemia

Mr. Laz · 11-15-2013, 01:19 PM

SF Morphs Into Gotham City for "Batkid" Battling Leukemia

“He likes to be a super hero,” Batkid's mom said. “He is one. He beat an awful disease”
By Lisa Fernandez
Friday, Nov 15, 2013 | Updated 10:56 AM PST

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

More Photos and Videos

The 12,000 volunteers who donned superhero capes and morphed San Francisco into Gotham City today can’t make sure a California boy will stay clear of leukemia for the rest of his life.

But, in handing the 5-year-old the key to the city, they can sure give him every boy’s dream come true for a few hours and a memory for a lifetime.

PHOTOS: Batkid Saves the City

Right at 10 a.m. on Friday, Miles – a shy kindergartner with bright blue eyes and is in remission from his cancer - became “Batkid,” complete with mask, cape and puffy fake muscles. He exited the Batmobile, from the front of the two-person sportscar - of course - safety first - after unstrapping himself from his carseat.

"He's just the cutest," said Jackie Johnston, one of the thousands of fans who had come out to watch.

But Miles just isn't cute. He's a hero.

After he jumped on a trampoline to give him a little extra boost, he untied a "damsel in distress," sitting on the cable car tracks on Hyde Street, a green bandana wrapped around her mouth, and a plastic box of what looked like explosives strapped to her back. Of course, the 5-year-old didn't know exactly what to do at first, but was aided by his partner in good-deeds, Batman - one of the many volunteer actors partcipating in the event.

MORE: World Responds to Giving "Batkid" His Dream

Miles, whose last name has not been given, has been a bit shy about talking through all this, telling all those who ask that "I'm gonna be Batman" – a character he regularly slips into during his rough-and-tumble escapades in Tulelake, Siskyou County near the Oregon border.
But his mom, Natalie, who also didn't give her last name, said this dream – made possible through the national Make-A-Wish Great Bay Area Foundation – is emblematic of her battle with leukemia.

“He likes to be a super hero,” she said. “He is one. He beat an awful disease”

All this is happening because of the Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation, and an email Wilson sent out in October asking for some volunteers to help give Miles his wish. The email went viral, and now, there are between 11,000 and 12,000 volunteers who are contributing their efforts, whether it be acting, being stage crew or assisting in a myriad of other ways.

"Obviously, we’ll never replicate this," said Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation spokeswoman Patricia Wilson. "This is a moment in time when something goes viral and the city goes alive."

MORE: Thousands Helping Transform SF Into Gotham City to Make Boy's Wish Come True

The Make-A-Wish Foundation in the Bay Area has been operating since 1984, when it was able to grant 27 wishes. Now one of the largest chapters nationwide, foundation grants 300 wishes per year and 6,000 wishes in all.

Here is the full schedule of Batkid's day:

10 a.m.: Miles departs Grand Hyatt Hotel in Union Square in a batmobile after answering the chief of police’s call for help. Exits building through loading dock area located between Williams-Sonoma and the former Levi’s store on Post Street between Powell and Stockton

10: 15 a.m: Damsel in distress is rescued from the Hyde Street cable car line on the 1900 block of Hyde, between Green and Union streets

11:15 a.m. Batman and Batkid apprehend the Riddler, who is in the middle of robbing a vault. The Riddler is carted off in an SFPD paddy wagon starting at 550 Montgomery Street with lunch at the Burger Bar in Union Square. While Batkid is enjoying lunch, a flashmob in Union Square alerts Batkid that Lou Seal has been kidnapped by the Penguin and Lou Seal drive off toward AT&T park in an open car.

12:35 p.m.: Batman and Batkid chase the Penguin around the Promenade level of AT&T park, going through the cable car, down the Coke bottle slide, and ending up near the miniature ball park. Lou Seal is tied up there, and our heroes rescue him. They go down to the field to watch a message on the Jumbotron from the Chief of Police, inviting them to City Hall where the mayor is waiting to give them the key to the city.

2 p.m.: Mayor Ed Lee will hold a news conference with Miles, his parents, the chief of police at Civic Center Plaza.

If you're going to be in San Francisco on Friday, email NBC Bay Area a photo of the city's Gotham City transformation to isee@nbcbayarea.com or Tweet with the hashtag #SFBatKid.

For more information or to refer a child for a wish, please call 415-982-9474 or visitwww.SF.Wish.org.

NBC Bay Area's Jean Elle contributed to this report.

In58men · 11-15-2013, 01:20 PM

Allergies are messing me up

**Bowser** · 11-15-2013, 01:22 PM

That is one of the best things I've read in a long time.

**alpha_omega** · 11-15-2013, 01:27 PM

Kudos to everyone involved!

thebrad84 · 11-15-2013, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inmem58

Allergies are messing me up

Brutal today aren't they?

Cephalic Trauma · 11-15-2013, 01:34 PM

Love that top picture

journeyscarab · 11-15-2013, 02:07 PM

Someone is chopping onions right near me damn it!

Pitt Gorilla · 11-15-2013, 02:11 PM

Awesome job, SF.

**mikeyis4dcats.** · 11-15-2013, 02:14 PM

kids a pussy /CP

Katipan · 11-15-2013, 02:15 PM

I'm so proud you Neanderthals cried. I might have too.

**Rausch** · 11-15-2013, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katipan

I'm so proud you Neanderthals cried. I might have too.

Not until the SB...

**notorious** · 11-15-2013, 02:32 PM

I held off on this thread because I knew I would cry.

mesmith31 · 11-16-2013, 01:26 PM

Up there with my other favorite from LA

BIG_DADDY · 11-20-2013, 12:00 PM

What I found funny was Obama found a way to inject himself into the whole picture. The media makes you feel all good about something then they flash Obama's mug before hearing from him and Michelle. Keep in mind this is not the first time this whole batkid thing has been pulled off by the make a wish foundation but it is the first time it has been this big and truly caught the imagination of a city this way. OF course this was the perfect opportunity our commander and queef and he couldn't resist injecting himself into it like a Pepsi commercial of something. He may be the worst leader of the free world but the man is a grand master marketing himself.

**RealSNR** · 11-20-2013, 12:03 PM

Wait, so they waited until the kid was cured before they let him play Batkid?

That's dumb. I thought Make-a-Wish things were for kids who were sick or terminally ill.

This guy gets to not have leukemia anymore AND gets to play Batkid?

11-15-2013, 01:19 PM
Mr. Laz Don't Tease Me Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: KS Casino cash: $11047037	SF Morphs Into Gotham City for "Batkid" Battling Leukemia SF Morphs Into Gotham City for "Batkid" Battling Leukemia “He likes to be a super hero,” Batkid's mom said. “He is one. He beat an awful disease” By Lisa Fernandez Friday, Nov 15, 2013 \| Updated 10:56 AM PST PHOTOS AND VIDEOS More Photos and Videos The 12,000 volunteers who donned superhero capes and morphed San Francisco into Gotham City today can’t make sure a California boy will stay clear of leukemia for the rest of his life. But, in handing the 5-year-old the key to the city, they can sure give him every boy’s dream come true for a few hours and a memory for a lifetime. PHOTOS: Batkid Saves the City Right at 10 a.m. on Friday, Miles – a shy kindergartner with bright blue eyes and is in remission from his cancer - became “Batkid,” complete with mask, cape and puffy fake muscles. He exited the Batmobile, from the front of the two-person sportscar - of course - safety first - after unstrapping himself from his carseat. "He's just the cutest," said Jackie Johnston, one of the thousands of fans who had come out to watch. But Miles just isn't cute. He's a hero. After he jumped on a trampoline to give him a little extra boost, he untied a "damsel in distress," sitting on the cable car tracks on Hyde Street, a green bandana wrapped around her mouth, and a plastic box of what looked like explosives strapped to her back. Of course, the 5-year-old didn't know exactly what to do at first, but was aided by his partner in good-deeds, Batman - one of the many volunteer actors partcipating in the event. MORE: World Responds to Giving "Batkid" His Dream Miles, whose last name has not been given, has been a bit shy about talking through all this, telling all those who ask that "I'm gonna be Batman" – a character he regularly slips into during his rough-and-tumble escapades in Tulelake, Siskyou County near the Oregon border. But his mom, Natalie, who also didn't give her last name, said this dream – made possible through the national Make-A-Wish Great Bay Area Foundation – is emblematic of her battle with leukemia. “He likes to be a super hero,” she said. “He is one. He beat an awful disease” All this is happening because of the Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation, and an email Wilson sent out in October asking for some volunteers to help give Miles his wish. The email went viral, and now, there are between 11,000 and 12,000 volunteers who are contributing their efforts, whether it be acting, being stage crew or assisting in a myriad of other ways. "Obviously, we’ll never replicate this," said Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation spokeswoman Patricia Wilson. "This is a moment in time when something goes viral and the city goes alive." MORE: Thousands Helping Transform SF Into Gotham City to Make Boy's Wish Come True The Make-A-Wish Foundation in the Bay Area has been operating since 1984, when it was able to grant 27 wishes. Now one of the largest chapters nationwide, foundation grants 300 wishes per year and 6,000 wishes in all. Here is the full schedule of Batkid's day: 10 a.m.: Miles departs Grand Hyatt Hotel in Union Square in a batmobile after answering the chief of police’s call for help. Exits building through loading dock area located between Williams-Sonoma and the former Levi’s store on Post Street between Powell and Stockton 10: 15 a.m: Damsel in distress is rescued from the Hyde Street cable car line on the 1900 block of Hyde, between Green and Union streets 11:15 a.m. Batman and Batkid apprehend the Riddler, who is in the middle of robbing a vault. The Riddler is carted off in an SFPD paddy wagon starting at 550 Montgomery Street with lunch at the Burger Bar in Union Square. While Batkid is enjoying lunch, a flashmob in Union Square alerts Batkid that Lou Seal has been kidnapped by the Penguin and Lou Seal drive off toward AT&T park in an open car. 12:35 p.m.: Batman and Batkid chase the Penguin around the Promenade level of AT&T park, going through the cable car, down the Coke bottle slide, and ending up near the miniature ball park. Lou Seal is tied up there, and our heroes rescue him. They go down to the field to watch a message on the Jumbotron from the Chief of Police, inviting them to City Hall where the mayor is waiting to give them the key to the city. 2 p.m.: Mayor Ed Lee will hold a news conference with Miles, his parents, the chief of police at Civic Center Plaza. If you're going to be in San Francisco on Friday, email NBC Bay Area a photo of the city's Gotham City transformation to isee@nbcbayarea.com or Tweet with the hashtag #SFBatKid. For more information or to refer a child for a wish, please call 415-982-9474 or visitwww.SF.Wish.org. NBC Bay Area's Jean Elle contributed to this report.
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11-15-2013, 01:20 PM	#2
In58men Baba Ganoush Join Date: Jan 2012 Casino cash: $2318026	Allergies are messing me up
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11-15-2013, 01:22 PM	#3
Bowser sorta mod-ish Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: KC North Casino cash: $3471616	That is one of the best things I've read in a long time.
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11-15-2013, 01:27 PM	#4
alpha_omega Supporter Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Liberty Casino cash: $1671251	Kudos to everyone involved!
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11-15-2013, 01:34 PM	#6
Cephalic Trauma Permitted Join Date: Jul 2011 Casino cash: $10004900	Love that top picture
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11-15-2013, 02:07 PM	#7
journeyscarab SHOCKERS BABY! Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Overland Park, KS Casino cash: $3753555	Someone is chopping onions right near me damn it!
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11-15-2013, 02:11 PM	#8
Pitt Gorilla Banned! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: NOT Columbia, MO 65201 Casino cash: $2980194	Awesome job, SF. __________________ Your son is a bench warmer because of your weak genetics not because of the coach Norlin Mommsen is disgusting.
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11-15-2013, 02:14 PM	#9
mikeyis4dcats. Scarlett Johansson's boytoy Join Date: Nov 2006 Casino cash: $9555998	kids a pussy /CP __________________
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11-15-2013, 02:15 PM	#10
Katipan MER Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Colorado Casino cash: $2770351	I'm so proud you Neanderthals cried. I might have too. __________________ "Loving him is red."
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11-15-2013, 02:32 PM	#12
notorious Supporter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Who knows? Casino cash: $2955884	I held off on this thread because I knew I would cry.
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11-16-2013, 01:26 PM	#13
mesmith31 Starter Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: West Des Moines, Iowa Casino cash: $10005205	Up there with my other favorite from LA
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11-20-2013, 12:00 PM	#14
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $5108410	What I found funny was Obama found a way to inject himself into the whole picture. The media makes you feel all good about something then they flash Obama's mug before hearing from him and Michelle. Keep in mind this is not the first time this whole batkid thing has been pulled off by the make a wish foundation but it is the first time it has been this big and truly caught the imagination of a city this way. OF course this was the perfect opportunity our commander and queef and he couldn't resist injecting himself into it like a Pepsi commercial of something. He may be the worst leader of the free world but the man is a grand master marketing himself. __________________ The diabolical genius of Marxism-Socialism is that it provides the emotional and intellectual road map for autocrats to persuade millions of people to support their own enslavement to government. ~Mark Levin April 15, 2019
Posts: 32,382

11-20-2013, 12:03 PM	#15
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $2390208	Wait, so they waited until the kid was cured before they let him play Batkid? That's dumb. I thought Make-a-Wish things were for kids who were sick or terminally ill. This guy gets to not have leukemia anymore AND gets to play Batkid?
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