Without his cape or costume, a local superhero brought smiles to kids and parents with two private screenings of the new “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in Long Beach over the weekend.
Around 50 kids from Long Beach Medical Center, the Long Beach Tichenor Clinic and the 5-Eleven Hoops basketball non-profit were invited to the AMC Marina Pacifica 12 on Saturday, April 8, to watch the new animated film starring Nintendo’s iconic Italian plumbers through the non-profit, A Future Superhero and Friends.
Yuri Williams, a deputy juvenile correctional officer for the Orange County Probation Department and the founder of A Future Superhero and Friends, is best known as the man behind the mask — donning the costumes of characters like Spider-Man and the Mandalorian to bring cheer to kids in hospitals and homeless veterans with gifts and necessities. This time, Williams was just another patron eager to see the Mushroom Kingdom on the big screen — but a costumed Mario and Luigi were in attendance to get the kids hyped up.
“It was my first time without the suits on. It was a little hectic at first making sure everyone got their tickets,” Williams said. “I usually take my daughter out to the movies and call it an expensive nap.”
“But with all the kids yelling in excitement I was definitely awake this time,” he said.
And Williams’ sentiment was shared by the organizations he invited.
“Families called to tell me how happy they were,” said Mayra Jimenez, the Director of Administration & Family Services for the Tichenor Clinic, which offers services to children with disabilities. “Some of those families had not been able to take their kids to the theaters in years. They just can’t afford it.”
Before the movie began, everyone was given free popcorn to boost their movie watching experience.
This isn’t the first time Williams has offered families and kids a free movie screening.
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