Not-for-profit group real superheroes for kids

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on August 13, 2024.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Some of the C3 cast were on hand at the Lethbridge Comics, Card and Collectibles Show on Saturday at the Exhibition grandstand.

While people were attending the Lethbridge Comics, Cards and Collectors Show at the Exhibition Grandstand to collect superhero comics and figurines or hockey cards and coins, for one vendor it was about putting the awareness out there on how dressing up as a superhero can make a sick person’s day.

C3, which stands for Caring, Character, Cosplay, is a not-for-profit group that sees people dress up in movie regalia replicas worth up to $2,000, and go to visit kids in need and families at the Stollery Hospitals, medical events such as Walk to End Cystic Fibrosis and attend house calls to visit ones who are bedridden and in palliative care .

They also make hospital visits with kids who have a day to live.

“We have to come and we’ll spend some time with their families and stuff, so they have at least one positive memory that they can kind of forge in that room before things get worse,” said David Huculiak, C3 co-founder.

C3 wants people to think they’re the genuine superheroes and not so much the actors.

“The actors basically fulfill our needs in that aspect,” said Huculiak.

He fielded the question many times at elementary schools in the persona of Dr. Strange.

“The answer for them, depending on the age … and believability, is yes,” said Huculiak.

“When they ask ‘well who’s that guy in the movies,’ you tell them ‘well that’s Benedict Cumberbach. He’s an actor that basically takes what happen to me and they kind of Hollywood spin on it.'”

The idea of C3 came after Huculiak’s five-month-old son died from SIDS in 2011 in Lethbridge.

“So what I did is I started looking at ways that you can cope with that kind of depression and stress,” said Huculiak.

“I still had two kids with me at the time and I’m still very much actively involved with the military at that time and going out and just doing Lions Club and things like that. So I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t affecting my performance in (other) community aspects.”

Huculiak was able to make a $5,000 Batman The Dark Knight replica suit after obtaining permission through Warner Bros.

“I started going to the hospitals and stuff around Edmonton because I had moved at the time and just kind of going and try to make other families that were in that situation in intensive care, palliative care … (and) the kids ward have a couple minutes where they could kind of associate with a superhero or icon and have those visits,” he said.

Huculiak showed up to Comi-Con in his Batman suit.

“I would just start approaching people that also had believable costumes that looked high grade and could maybe act a bit, and then I would go and ask them if they want to participate (in it) and then so I eventually over 10 years built a team,” said Huculiak.

C3 will also attend private events and be a convention guest.

C3 is based out of Edmonton and travels all over Canada.

More information can be found on https://c3cosplay.godaddysites.com/services.