It was a powerful day in Sydney, N.S. as employees at several businesses donned their finest superhero attire for the fourth annual âCalebâs Superhero Dayâ in honour of a special little boy.
In March 2015, Caleb MacArthur died from cancer a month shy of his fourth birthday. The beloved little boy was known to dress up as his favourite superhero, Superman, while he underwent treatment at Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
Following his death, his family and the hospital created â to raise money for pediatric palliative care.
In just four years, the movement has raised more than $400,000 for children in need of critical care.
On Monday, workers at several businesses in Sydney dressed up in superhero garb in honour of Caleb.
âTheir story has just broken my heart,â Melanie Sampson, who dressed up as Wonder Woman at the townâs Mazda dealership, told CTV Atlantic on Monday. âI canât even picture â I have three children of my own â what it must have been like for them.â
Sampson wasnât the only community member taking part, either.
At the Credit Union bank in downtown Sydney, staff showed off their various superhero T-shirts.
âItâs a very special day in the community help supporting little kids who are fighting big battles,â employee Mark Carabin said. âWe just thought, âLetâs dress up like superheroes and do our little part.ââ
Not too far away, staff at The Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation, which helps run Calebâs Courage, sold pins and T-shirts with the little boyâs image on them.
âI would venture a guess to say there are over a thousand people who are participating in this in different ways,â Communications Officer Mark Inglis said. âWe know for certain that we had an order of over 500 T-shirts come in last week. We are down to a bare minimum, just a few of those T-shirts left.â
Inglis said the communityâs participation in âCalebâs Superhero Dayâ has meant a lot to Calebâs family.
âIt means the world to them to know that Calebâs legacy is living on forever,â he said. âThey have actually created an endowment fund, which means that money is going to be used forever, for the rest of time, to help other little superheroes fighting big battles.â
On Tuesday, students at local Sydney schools will have their opportunity to dress up when itâs local superhero day for them.