SpiderMable takes to the streets of Edmonton
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
You love Superman, you love Thor—well, get ready for SpiderMable! Much in the same vein as BatKid from November, 2013, six-year-old Mable Tooke got to play superhero for the day on September 28 in Edmonton, Alberta.
While undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Tooke developed an affinity for a certain web-slinger every comic fan knows and loves, but her love of Spiderman didn’t stem from the fancy movies or the new cartoons, but rather the old Stan Lee comics of the 1960s. Talk about being a true fan!
Moved by Tooke’s story and her situation, the Children’s Wish Foundation decided to make her a superhero for a day, and even flew Spidey in from New York so she could fight crime alongside her favorite Avenger. But they needed more than clever costumes and a sense of childish wonder to pull it off—they needed the help of an entire city to make this wish come true. Well, they got it, and they got it in spades! Edmonton more than rose to the occasion, as volunteers poured in to help and fans lined the streets to cheer SpiderMable on.
The day began with the local news announcing the disappearance of Edmonton Oilers captain Andrew Ference. Sergeant Steve Sharpe of the Edmonton Police Department pled to the camera for SpiderMable to help him and get to city hall right away for a meeting with Mayor Don Iveson.
There, SpiderMable met with Spiderman, who greeted her excitedly with a high five and told her he was there to help. After SpiderMable briefed her hero on the situation, they met with the Mayor, who formally requested the help of the city’s newest caped crusader (yes, she did have a cape). From there, the dynamic duo went to the police department where the culprit was identified as the evil Mysterio, one of Spiderman’s arch nemeses.
In her quest to save Andrew Ference, SpiderMable got to zip line in West Edmonton Mall, save Spiderman’s friend Black Cat, and defeat Mysterio in the Edmonton Zoo—with the help of a lot of silly string! After freeing Ference, Tooke celebrated with a superhero party in the zoo’s otter room.
As a reward for her service to the city, as well as for saving a fan-favourite hockey player—this is Canada after all—SpiderMable got to drop the puck at the Edmonton versus Arizona game the following night.
When asked why he wanted to help, Ference told Global News: “Having kids of my own, to see a smile on a kid’s face, you can’t put a price on it; especially somebody who’s gone through a pretty tough time like her.”
Though Tooke has been in treatment for her leukemia since September 2013, things are looking up. Hopefully, it will enter remission soon.
