Batkid made the streets of San Francisco safe once again for law-abiding citizens on Friday, as he rescued a damsel in distress, foiled a bank robbery and then rescued the San Francisco Giants' mascot from the clutches of the Penguin.
Batkid, a.k.a. five-year-old Miles Scott, became the caped crusader for a day with the help of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, an organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Miles was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 18 months old, but his cancer is now in remission.
"He wanted to be Batman," Patricia Wilson, the Bay Area Make-a-Wish executive director, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Miles, with a full-sized Batman at his side, rode in a black Lamborghini tricked out with bat decals to rescue a lady who was tied up on the streetcar tracks. Hundreds of residents of San Francisco/Gotham-by-the-Bay lined the streets to cheer him on.
Many held signs saying "We Love Batkid" or "My Hero." They were tipped off by a barrage of social media messages, giving the times and locations of Batkid's daring deeds. And they were joined by area organizations that took to the streets to show their support.
"Today, SF is transformed into Gotham City--thank goodness we have #SFBatKid to keep us safe!" tweeted the San Francisco Symphony, who changed their name to the Gotham City Symphony for the day.
Next, Batkid responded to news of a bank robbery, where he helped Gotham police subdue and arrest the Riddler.
While he was eating a well-deserved hamburger at Macy's, Batkid received a taunting tweet from his arch-nemesis, the Penguin. Lou Seal, the Giants' mascot, was in grave danger!
Batkid sprang into action. He arrived at AT&T Field just in time to save Lou.
After this final deed, Batkid rode a victory lap in the Batmobile to Gotham's city hall, where the mayor presented him with a key to the city in front of thousands of cheering fans and volunteers.
All together, nearly 12,000 volunteers and fans turned out to help make Miles' day extraordinary.
"Today, November 15, 2013, is Batkid Day forever," said Mayor Ed Lee.
