Showing posts with label people serving people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people serving people. Show all posts

Monday, December 20, 2010

HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE REPORT


Wonder Boy, a Meta House nurse, The Watchman, and Blackbird outside of Meta House

On Saturday, December 11, I joined The Watchman, Blackbird, and Citizen (of Chicago) for an in person toy/art supply drive in front of Fuel Cafe, here in Milwaukee. People were generous and I wrote more about the day and shared photos in a previous blog entry HERE.

I again joined the heroes for the two deliveries of the donated bounty. On Friday the meet up spot was my kitchen, from which we headed a short distance over to the Meta House. Blackbird arrived first, followed by The Watchman with his son and heir apparent, Wonder Boy. Wonder Boy has traditionally joined Watchman for his holiday charity events.

We had several bags of art supplies and toys. We were met outside of Meta House by two staff members, and led inside into their office. The Meta House is located in a couple of beautiful old buildings that used to house a Catholic school and convent for nuns. As we walked through the halls we encountered some of the Meta House residents who reacted with delighted surprise at the sight of the superheroes patrolling the hall.

The kids of Meta House were all in school, but after dropping of the supplies, the Meta House staff suggested the superheroes stop in the basement to say hi to some of the women who were having some social/ craft time. We filed down the narrow stairway and were met with more surprise. The Watchman briefly told the women what being a RLSH was all about and was greeted with great enthusiasm and well wishes. We wished the residents and staff a happy holiday and left.

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Outside of the Gingerbread House

On Sunday I found myself cruising on the highway through the forests of bare winter trees, billboards, and outlet stores in the Birdmobile, with dance mash ups bumping on the stereo. I was riding with Blackbird as we headed to meet The Watchman in West Bend to make the second donation. The Gingerbread House is a charity that gives donated toys to poor families in Washington County. Again, we had several large bags of toys that filled up one of Gingerbread House's bins in their makeshift warehouse facility. The Gingerbread House staff was very kind and gave us each a Christmas card. They said it has been a rough year and any donations were very helpful.
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The heroes talk with Gingerbread House staff inside their facility

MEANWHILE...
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Geist and Arctic Knight with donations for People Serving People

In Minneapolis, The Watchman's Great Lake Alliance team mates- Geist and Razorhawk, along with Minneapolis's newest RLSH addition, Arctic Knight also did a delivery over the weekend. The trio dropped off toys and food at People Serving People, a large shelter and facility in downtown Minneapolis. They also read Frosty the Snowman to kids who reside in the shelter.

And so, the superheroes did what they could to try to capture the holiday spirit and give to others, and helped out three charity organizations. Good work!

HOLIDAY BREAK...
I will be taking a holiday break from Heroes in the Night to try to catch up on some other facts of life and will return to this blog January 5. I hope all of you have a great holiday, no matter if you are a hero doing a Christmas or New Year hand out or whether you are a sinister villain plotting during Ubermas, happy holidays to all.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Milwaukee Holiday Toy Drive

I am helping the local guys with their holiday charity mission. Below is the press release for the event-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- MILWAUKEE "REAL LIFE SUPERHERO" LEADS TOY DRIVE


Milwaukee, WI-December, 1, 2010- You’ve probably read an article about him in a paper or heard people talk about him. Maybe you’ve even seen him on the streets of Milwaukee. Now you can not only meet Milwaukee’s Real Life Superhero, The Watchman, but you can help him with a heroic mission- donating toys and art supplies to charity.

Saturday, December 11, The Watchman will be in person in front of the Fuel Café (818 E. Center Street) from 10AM-4PM collecting donations of cash, art supplies, and (new) toys. Online money and in person cash donations will be used to buy additional toys and art supplies and everything will be delivered in person to two charities the following week.

Those charities are the Gingerbread House, located in West Bend, which provides toys to low income families who can’t afford to buy gifts for their children and Meta House, a rehab center for women and their children, located in Riverwest. Meta House has also cited a need for art supplies for their various art programs.

This is the third year The Watchman and his Great Lakes Alliance teammates in Minnesota are participating in a holiday charity mission. Fundraising will be open online on the team’s site, www.wix.com/glhg10/gla2010, until December 10. The online funds will be divided between Milwaukee and the Minnesota heroes, who will be donating to People Serving People, a shelter in Minneapolis.

This year Watchman has the additional support of Milwaukee author Tea Krulos (who is writing a book on real life superheroes) and fellow Milwaukee real life superhero Blackbird (who is helping with the mission, but won’t be at the drive, due to his mysterious nature) and other volunteers on hand to help out. In a comic book reversal, The Watchman is shining a batsignal to the public, hoping people will stop by and donate gifts for these great charities and share the holiday spirit.

At a glance:
WHAT: The Watchman’s charity toy drive
WHEN: Saturday, December 11, 10AM-4PM
WHERE: Fuel Café, 818 E. Center Street
The Watchman is collecting toys, art supplies, and money for two charities- the Gingerbread House in West Bend and the Meta House in Riverwest. Donations can also be made online until December 10 at the Great Lakes Alliance’s website: www.wix.com/glhg10/gla2010

Contact: Tea Krulos
teakrulos@gmail.com

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