Photos: Window washers the real superheroes for kids at Alberta Children’s Hospital

Leaping off the silver screen, six superheroes scaled the windows of the Alberta Children’s Hospital on Wednesday to save more than just the day.

Superman, Batman, Thor, Mr. Incredible, Luisa Madrigal and Obi-wan Kenobi were among the costumes that employees of an anonymous window washing company donned to clean the hospital’s windows.

It was all to bring some joy to the hearts of sick children in need.

“It makes me super happy, and seeing kids smile is one of the best things,” said Matt Lerigny, who dressed as Superman for the occasion.

“Most of the time you have people complaining about how you missed a spot, so it’s nice to just see them waving and smiling at you.”

Lerigny laughed about being Superman for the kids, saying that Spider-Man was busy.

The event marked the seventh year that the windows have been washed by superheroes.

Delight makes healing easier for kids, parents

Margaret Fullerton, RN, senior operating officer for the Alberta Children’s Hospital, said seeing the superheroes wash windows helps to make a stay at the hospital a little more fun for young patients.

“Nobody really likes to come to the hospital, so making it a little bit more fun to arrive, to have some surprises—to really think about the child in the centre—makes their experience a lot more palatable, and easier,” she said.

“For children who are here who are quite ill, and would rather not be here, this really adds a lot to their day.”

She said that events like these help families as well.

“Distraction is a really important part of caring for children, especially during their time here,” Fullerton said.

“So bringing spirits up, distracting with some really fun activities like this is is part of what we do every day, but this is pretty major.”

Photos from the superhero window wash