The 12,000 volunteers who donned superhero capes and morphed San Francisco into Gotham City today can’t make sure a California boy will stay clear of leukemia for the rest of his life.

But, in handing the 5-year-old the key to the city, they can sure give him every boy’s dream come true for a few hours and a memory for a lifetime.

PHOTOS: Batkid Saves the City

Right at 10 a.m. on Friday, Miles – a shy kindergartner with bright blue eyes and is in remission from his cancer - became “Batkid,” complete with mask, cape and puffy fake muscles. He exited the Batmobile, from the front of the two-person sportscar - of course - safety first - after unstrapping himself from his carseat.

"He's just the cutest," said Jackie Johnston, one of the hundreds of fans who had come out to watch.

But Miles just isn't cute. He's a hero.

After he jumped on a trampoline to give him a little extra boost, he untied a "damsel in distress," sitting on the cable car tracks on Hyde Street, a green bandana wrapped around her mouth, and a plastic box of what looked like explosives strapped to her back. Of course, the 5-year-old didn't know exactly what to do at first, but was aided by his partner in good-deeds, Batman - one of the many volunteer actors partcipating in the event.

The 12,000 volunteers who donned superhero capes and morphed San Francisco into Gotham City today can’t make sure a California boy will stay clear of leukemia for the rest of his life.

But, in handing the 5-year-old the key to the city, they can sure give him every boy’s dream come true for a few hours and a memory for a lifetime.

“He likes to be a super hero,” Batkid's mom said. “He is one. He beat an awful disease”
By Lisa Fernandez | Friday, Nov 15, 2013 | Updated 11:12 AM PSTView Comments (14) | Email | Print





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San Francisco's Batkid Saves Gotham
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Batkid Saves Gotham
San Francisco Turns into Gotham City for Bat Kid
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The 12,000 volunteers who donned superhero capes and morphed San Francisco into Gotham City today can’t make sure a California boy will stay clear of leukemia for the rest of his life.

But, in handing the 5-year-old the key to the city, they can sure give him every boy’s dream come true for a few hours and a memory for a lifetime.

PHOTOS: Batkid Saves the City

Right at 10 a.m. on Friday, Miles – a shy kindergartner with bright blue eyes and is in remission from his cancer - became “Batkid,” complete with mask, cape and puffy fake muscles. He exited the Batmobile, from the front of the two-person sportscar - of course - safety first - after unstrapping himself from his carseat.

"He's just the cutest," said Jackie Johnston, one of the hundreds of fans who had come out to watch.

But Miles just isn't cute. He's a hero.

After he jumped on a trampoline to give him a little extra boost, he untied a "damsel in distress," sitting on the cable car tracks on Hyde Street, a green bandana wrapped around her mouth, and a plastic box of what looked like explosives strapped to her back. Of course, the 5-year-old didn't know exactly what to do at first, but was aided by his partner in good-deeds, Batman - one of the many volunteer actors partcipating in the event.

WATCH: "Batkid" Jumps Into Action to Save Damsel in Distress






The crowds went wild, cheering clapping and ringing bells.

"He's great, he did such a great job," Mario Martinez said, holding his own son in his arms.

MORE: World Responds to Giving "Batkid" His Dream

Miles, whose last name has not been given, has been a bit shy about talking through all this, telling all those who ask that "I'm gonna be Batman" – a character he regularly slips into during his rough-and-tumble escapades in Tulelake, Siskyou County near the Oregon border.

But his mom, Natalie, who also didn't give her last name, said this dream – made possible through the national Make-A-Wish Great Bay Area Foundation – is emblematic of her son’s battle with leukemia.

“He likes to be a super hero,” she said. “He is one. He beat an awful disease”

All this is happening because of the Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation, and an email Wilson sent out in October asking for some volunteers to help give Miles his wish.

The email went viral, and now, there are between 11,000 and 12,000 volunteers who are contributing their efforts, whether it be acting, being stage crew or assisting in a myriad of other ways.

"Obviously, we’ll never replicate this," said Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation spokeswoman Patricia Wilson. "This is a moment in time when something goes viral and the city goes alive."

MORE: Thousands Helping Transform SF Into Gotham City to Make Boy's Wish Come True

The Make-A-Wish Foundation in the Bay Area has been operating since 1984, when it was able to grant 27 wishes. Now one of the largest chapters nationwide, foundation grants 300 wishes per year and 6,000 wishes in all.

Here is the full schedule of Batkid's day:

10 a.m.: Miles departs Grand Hyatt Hotel in Union Square in a batmobile after answering the chief of police’s call for help. Exits building through loading dock area located between Williams-Sonoma and the former Levi’s store on Post Street between Powell and Stockton

10: 15 a.m: Damsel in distress is rescued from the Hyde Street cable car line on the 1900 block of Hyde, between Green and Union streets

11:15 a.m. Batman and Batkid apprehend the Riddler, who is in the middle of robbing a vault. The Riddler is carted off in an SFPD paddy wagon starting at 550 Montgomery Street with lunch at the Burger Bar in Union Square. While Batkid is enjoying lunch, a flashmob in Union Square alerts Batkid that Lou Seal has been kidnapped by the Penguin and Lou Seal drive off toward AT&T park in an open car.

12:35 p.m.: Batman and Batkid chase the Penguin around the Promenade level of AT&T park, going through the cable car, down the Coke bottle slide, and ending up near the miniature ball park. Lou Seal is tied up there, and our heroes rescue him. They go down to the field to watch a message on the Jumbotron from the Chief of Police, inviting them to City Hall where the mayor is waiting to give them the key to the city

p.m.: Mayor Ed Lee will hold a news conference with Miles, his parents, the chief of police at Civic Center Plaza.

If you're going to be in San Francisco on Friday, email NBC Bay Area a photo of the city's Gotham City transformation to isee@nbcbayarea.com or Tweet with the hashtag #SFBatKid.

 Frazzled wrote:
Ok San Fran is suddenly awesome.

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco police are being accused of brutality in a case that involved a bicyclist at the Valencia Gardens public housing complex in the city's Mission Dolores neighborhood on Friday afternoon.

D'Paris Charles Williams, 20, was arrested after apparently riding his bicycle on the sidewalk at about 3:40 p.m. Friday at the complex near Rosa Parks Lane and Maxwell Court.

The arrest of Williams spurred an altercation between other people at the complex and prompted three more arrests, police said.

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However, a friend of Williams, local photographer Travis Jensen, talked to people at the complex and said their stories, as well as a cellphone video taken at the scene and posted on YouTube, show that the incident was a case of police brutality.
"Clearly something not right is happening here," Jensen said.

He said Williams, also known as DJ, was simply riding his bike on the sidewalk up to his residence in the complex when he was approached by undercover officers who said something about riding on the sidewalk, then grabbed him from behind and beat him for no apparent reason.

Jensen said witnesses at the scene said Williams suffered a broken jaw and other injuries when he was attacked by police.

He said when others joined in, it was out of concern for Williams.

"People don't get that upset for no reason. They were upset because they were seeing DJ getting beaten," Jensen said.

In the YouTube video of the scene, available at http://youtu.be/8NQle7jWJjc, a plainclothes officer wearing a brown shirt is seen charging at a witness.

"He's sort of leading the charge on the whole incident," Jensen said of the officer.

Jensen said he has mentored Williams, a City College of San Francisco student who has taken an interest in photography.

"He's a good kid," he said, adding that Williams was biking home from the "Batkid" festivities in San Francisco on Friday when the officers confronted him, and that he only had a Hostess cupcake, Capri-Sun drink and Reese's Pieces candy in his possession.

Police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said the incident started when Williams tried to flee into a residence after plainclothes officers tried to stop him for a vehicle code violation.

He then allegedly resisted the officers, who used "reasonable force" and arrested him, Shyy said.

A hostile crowd then gathered around the officers, two of whom suffered injuries not considered life-threatening in the scrum. One person tried to hit an officer with a cane while another bit an officer, according to Shyy.

A total of four people, including Williams, were arrested, Shyy said. Williams and another person were arrested for felonies, one was arrested for a misdemeanor and the fourth was cited and released.

Williams was booked into custody on suspicion of assault and battery on an officer, felony resisting arrest, a traffic code violation and an outstanding local warrant, Shyy said.

Jensen said Williams remained in custody as of this afternoon and that his family and friends were trying to get ahold of him.

"Nobody has heard anything," he said.

Jensen said he and other community members are planning to hold a rally at 5 p.m. Tuesday outside the Mission Police Station to protest the officers' actions in the case.

"We're prepared to do whatever we need to do to shed light on this," he said.

(Copyright 2013 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, re-transmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. Is prohibited.)

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Wow, 105k for all of sanfran cisco. That is expensive. I also is more of it is lost revenue
http://news.yahoo.com/popular-batkid-caper-costs-san-120333857.html

 Nevelon wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Wow, 105k for all of sanfran cisco. That is expensive. I also is more of it is lost revenue
http://news.yahoo.com/popular-batkid-caper-costs-san-120333857.html

But how much did they gain in PR? It's advertising for the city, and probably more effective then some lame TV spots. Tons of people across the world now have "San Fran's an awesome city" kicking around the back of their head. Come time to plan vacations a/o expand businesses, that's gold for a city.