What started as a lighthearted email joke turned into a super-powered spectacle at UVA Health Children’s Wednesday, when some of the hospital’s favorite superheroes – Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, Captain America and Deadpool – rappelled down the building to say hello to cheering patients, families and staff.
The idea first surfaced casually during the planning of the window washing task among hospital managers, according to Derek Wilson, the Facilities Management director at UVA Health. Wilson said when his project manager, Warren Britts, heard about the request to see if Spider-Man could handle the window-washing duties, the idea took flight.
“I thought, ‘I can make that happen,’” Britts said.
Patients, families and staff members gather to witness the super-powered window washers at work. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
Britts turned to Virginia-based Valcourt Building Services, the company he’s used before to clean the hospital’s windows. Knowing the contractor had pulled off a similar superhero stunt in Richmond, he decided to make the call. And sure enough, the heroes answered.
“Warren has been instrumental in transforming a mundane job into something fun for the children in the hospital,” Wilson said
“I’m just glad I was able to coordinate it for the kids. That’s what this is for. It’s all for the kids,” Britts said.
