Young patients assembled on the fifth floor watched in awe and waved their glow sticks to signal the superheroes who were rappelling on ropes from the rooftop of ProMedica Hospital on Halloween. Beneath the costumes were real-life heroes from the SWAT team of the Toledo police force who dreamed up the adventure to entertain the sick children.

The Ohio cops got the idea from a story last year showing window washers dressed as heroes. The officers decided among themselves who would dress as which hero, Thor, Superman, The Hulk, Captain America, Spiderman, the Green Lantern, Wolverine, or one of the Ninja Turtles. Then, they hatched an elaborate plan in cooperation with hospital staff.

The children, gathered around a TV, were brought into the fantasy by a hospital-made video showing a news anchor announcing that the world’s greatest superheroes were on their way to defeat the evil “Professor Trickster”, who stole all of Toledo’s Halloween treats to power his winter weather machine.

The young patients, dressed in their own costumes donated by a local charity, helped to summon the heroes with their glow sticks after learning of Professor Trickster’s whereabouts near the hospital.

The heroes then descended down the building on ropes where the Professor Trickster was waiting for battle. In the end, good triumphed over evil and Halloween was saved for all to enjoy.

Afterward, the superheroes who came inside to chat with the children and parents, and posing for photos, called it one of the best days they’ve ever had.

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Photos courtesy of ProMedica Hospital – Story tip from Jeff