Pediatric Patients to Become Superheroes for a Day at L.A. Reveal Event

• 6th Annual Lollipop Superhero Reveal Gives Children From LA Hospitals A Chance To Dress Up As Superheroes In Outfits Made By Professional Costume Designers
• Photos of the children in their costumes were used in the movie posters that will be unveiled at the May 19 event
• “Inspiring these kids to be the best version of themselves is the most rewarding aspect of this,” Lollipop Theater Network’s Evelyn Iocolano tells PEOPLE

On Sunday, eight children from Los Angeles hospitals will live out their superhero fantasies — capes and all.

On May 19 in LA, the 6th Annual Lollipop Superhero Reveal will showcase kids dressed as their superhero alter egos with outfits designed by members of the Costume Designers Guild.

Discovering Superheroes is spearheaded by the LA-based nonprofit Lollipop Theater Network, which brings movies and entertainment to children hospitalized for chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Lollipop’s CEO, Evelyn Iocolano, tells PEOPLE that the event began with a previous music program.

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“I was at the hospital with our volunteers, and it happened to fall on April 28, which was National Superhero Day. So I brought capes for everyone,” Iocolano remembers. “And when we were leaving, our volunteers, who were adults, wouldn’t take off their capes — and I realized how much fun people have pretending to be superheroes.”

Iocolano says Lollipop’s first event started out as a superhero walk. Shen later met a customer from Spider man this gave rise to the idea of ​​creating superhero costumes for children.

“Since then, we’ve been able to incorporate the Costume Designers Guild,” says Iocolano. “They would email and we got some amazing designers to come on board and make these costumes.”

Before the reveal, Lollipop pairs a costume designer with a child recommended by the hospital where the two exchange superhero costume ideas based on what the child likes.

“We go through all the meetings with them,” Iocolano says. “We are with them when they meet, whether in the costume house or when they are just doing their first rehearsals, or even at the very beginning when they are just coming up with inspiration and what the child believes their superheroes are.”

Superhero ‘Firestorm’.

Jen Rosenstein

Ariyela Wald-Cohain, an Emmy-winning costume designer whose credits include Waitress and iCarly, is one of the participants in this year’s discovery. She teamed up with Yoanely Lopez, a 14-year-old in a wheelchair who wanted to become “Mobilizer Girl,” a character whose superpowers include speed and brain power.

“She has gloves on her hands that can stop anything, like Wonder Woman,” Wald-Cohain says of Yoanely.

“She also told me that her favorite color is aquamarine, which is the color of her stone, so I included that. And she really likes Hot Topic and little anime, so I went with that vibe. She also wanted fishnets, which isn’t something you normally see on a superhero,” adds Wald-Cohain, “so we ended up putting on black tights. And on top of that, we did the aquamarine fishnet, kind of bringing in this kind of anime vibe so she feels comfortable.”

Costume designer Ariyela Wald-Cohain with one of the participants from Superhero Reveal.

Brian Bowen Smith

The process from costume design to fitting took about three months, according to Wald-Cohain, who has also participated in previous unveiling events.

Once their looks are ready, the children are given a portrait in their costumes by celebrity photographer Brian Bowen Smith, and these images are used in movie posters designed by Vox360 for the winners and presented at the unveiling event.

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“We surprise kids and parents with a full-size movie poster of that kid as their superhero alter ego,” says Iocolano. “It’s the first time they’ve seen it and it gets very emotional at times. [Vox360, which does posters for the movie studios,] just make it look really professional, and it’s great. I’ve heard so many stories that it’s been sitting in children’s rooms for years.”

One of the interesting aspects of the project for Wald-Cohain is working with the children’s parents, she says.

“I always make T-shirts for my parents to take pictures of,” she says. “And if there is another child, then I will do something small because they are like helpers, so they feel included and part of the process. Because this whole illness or whatever they’re going through, it affects the whole family all the time. It’s not just that kid.”

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“The quality of the costumes they make for these little people is pretty phenomenal,” Terry Gordon, president of the Costume Designers Guild, tells PEOPLE. “We just like to give back when we reach out to the community. We are storytellers, and these little people have amazing stories. And if we can help them get through some of the tough times and challenges they’re having right now, we’re happy to do that.”

Sima Perez’s son Christopher, who has muscular dystrophy, was a superhero under the alias Remix at the last event.

“It was an amazing and unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience for Christopher to feel like a real superhero,” she tells PEOPLE.

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He recalls Christopher’s wheelchair loaded with boom box speakers as part of Remix’s persona. “The whole idea was if he had a chance or an opportunity to change the world, what would it be?” says Perez. “And he said: ‘Through music I would help people heal every time.’ And that’s where the whole idea of ​​him being a superhero started.”

For Iocolan and others involved in the unveiling — which has received endorsements from celebrities such as Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Tim Allen and Jay Leno — the experience of making these children and their parents feel special is gratifying.

“Inspiring these kids to be the best version of themselves is the most rewarding aspect of this,” says Iocolano. “A lot of these kids’ superpowers are wanting to help other people through charity, which is their own choice. Those are the things that always really blow my mind. They are special children.”

‘Blink Girl’.

Brian Bowen Smith

Wald-Cohain repeats it.

“It’s empowering,” she says. “On the day we do the photo shoot, they have their hair and makeup done and everyone is petting them, and then they come out and they’re just completely transformed. You can see them just smiling and enjoying every moment. It’s really special. It’s something I’m proud of… [The parents are] so grateful to simply make their child feel so special, and it’s really rewarding.

“I think I’m actually getting a lot more out of this than I’m giving.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education