Superheroes let some sunshine in

Window washers don costumes and capes to cheer up ill kids in hospital

Armed with soapy squeegees, Spider-Man, Thor and Wonder Woman teamed up with other superheroes Monday to bring a ray of sunshine to sick kids by vanquishing the villain of the day: grime on the windows of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco.

Of course the men and women dangling from the Mission Bay hospital’s facade weren’t officially superheroes, but that didn’t matter much to the ill children who gathered at windows and pointed in awe as the costumed cleaning crusaders rappelled from the roof.

“We all need to feel like superheroes sometimes, especially if you’re a child dealing with an illness,” said Michael Towne, head of child life services at the hospital, who himself was adorned in a red cape. “We all get to feel like heroes today.”

Lucila Calderone, 7, winced a little as a nurse helped place an IV in her arm, but she immediately ran to the window as soon as the procedure was done to get a peek at the action.

“I feel really happy,” Lucila said, gazing from side to side out of her sixth-floor hospital room. “I’m way too excited, but I only see Iron

“We all need to feel like superheroes sometimes, especially if you’re a child dealing with an illness.”

Michael Towne, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco

Man. Where’s Thor?”

Thor was busy, just out of Lucila’s view, speaking with the parents of another ill child, while Bob Kerns, dressed as Iron Man, explained to reporters the purpose of the mission.

“Seeing the kids’ faces light up, it’s really just a great thing to be a part of,” said Kerns, who owns Master Care Window Washing.

Kerns said the event was also fun for his employees, who came to work dressed as Captain America, the Hulk, a red Power Ranger and the Flash, among others.

“The reaction from the kids is really special and from the parents, too. You get all of them lining up at the windows, and then they want to take pictures and the parents want to pose for selfies,” he said.

Back up in Lucila’s room, her mother, Marisela Veliz, stood back smiling as her daughter pressed her face against the window.

“It’s great,” Veliz said. “She’s been in here three days, so this is a really nice thing for her to see before she has to leave.”

Towne said the hospital has its windows cleaned about twice a year and that facility officials are considering making the superhero cleaners a regular fixture.

“If it adds a little hope and joy for the kids, I don’t see why we wouldn’t,” he said.

Photos by Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle Ceion McKay, 3, fist-bumps Wonder Woman as Spider-Man looks on at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco. Employees from Master Care Window Washers dressed up to entertain the young patients.

Workers dressed as Batman and Captain America squeegee the windows at the hospital, which get a good washing about twice a year.

Photos by Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle Isabelle Vasquez, 6, meets a Power Ranger (left) and the Flash at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital S.F.

Patient Jesus Flores, 3, smiles as window washer Pablo Reyes hangs out in Superman garb.