Kid Superheroes Save Luque-opolis

Superheroes took over Luque Community Center on Jan. 15. The event was one of the center's special event days and taught the kids everything they needed to know about being a superhero. "I believe superheroes are great role models," said senior recreation leader Thomas Robles. "They teach kids to always be a rock for others and to always help others." After a quick test of their superhero knowledge, during which the kids were asked superhero trivia questions, Robles and his fellow senior recreation leader, Everett Rodriguez, disappeared into a makeshift phone booth to take on their new superhero identities. They emerged a few minutes later as Recreation Man (Robles) and his arch nemesis, The Black Cape (Rodriguez). The kids then began their superhero training. Activities for the day included a quick run around the nearby park to test super speed, a test of super strength, creating action bubbles and superhero identities, and a quick game of Capture the Villain to retrieve all the candy of Luque-opolis. They also had to overcome their superhero weaknesses and gather Kryponite hidden by The Black Cape. Children of all grade levels attended the event, from kindergarten up to fifth grade. Despite the age difference, everyone participated and seemed to enjoy the events. "My favorite part was watching the entirety of our rec kids get involved," said Rodriguez after his day of villainy. "Often we have kids, usually three or four, that don't get involved. But today everyone got into it at least once. And that's really great to see." Even before superhero day started, Robles — who was assigned the event and acted as the main driving force — used his super strength and speed to gather supplies and provide decorations for the special event. He provided all of the materials for the craft project and came up with all of the outdoor activities for the day. Lisa Harris, a recreation specialist at Luque Community Center and the one who put Robles in charge, was impressed by Robles' efforts. "He's been doing an amazing job," she said. "I wanted to give Thomas a chance to show his skills and I think it will give him a chance to show what he can do." Rodriguez was not originally part of the event but said he was glad Robles asked him to help out. "I was lucky to be scheduled that day," he said. "I just had a lot of fun." Behind the scenes, Rodriguez and Robles had help from other members of the staff. Bryan Roberts, a fellow recreation leader, helped set up all the outdoor events. The day closed with another set of superhero questions and Robles awarded Harris a special Hero Award, thanking her for always being there and supporting the recreation team as well as the kids.