We found Superman! There is a real life Super Hero right here in Fort Worth…and his name is Damon Cole. Damon is a Fort Worth Police Officer on a mission to fight childhood cancer. We have been fortunate over the years to work on some of the most impressive projects. This project is leaps and bounds in front of them all!
It is our honor and privilege to be selected for this mission: Here is Damon’s story in his own words.
My name is Damon Cole; I am a full time Police Officer in Fort Worth, Texas. I have been a police officer since 1999. As a police officer I have dealt with so many children over my career. Keep in mind when I am dealing with them as a police officer, it is not always in a good light. So I wanted to try and make a big impact on the children that I come in contact with at work. Every child should know that a police officer is always there to help them through anything. The best way to get that message across is to build up a trusting relationship with them. So around 13 years ago I had the Superman logo sewed on my bulletproof vest that way whenever I would deal with a child on a call for service, I would tell them a secret but they would have to promise me that you will not tell anybody. I then make them pinky promise me to keep the secret. I would then undo my shirt so it exposes my Superman logo on my bulletproof vest. At this point the children go crazy, and they usually ask me where my cape is. I tell them that I cannot wear it with my uniform because it will get wrinkled. From that moment on the child will always remember me and that will make it easier for me to help them in the long run because they trust me.
In 2012 while working for Dallas Police Department I started dressing up as Superman doing different community events and going to local hospitals. In April of 2015 I learned of a 7-year-old boy named Bryce Schottel who had cancer. Bryce lives in Smithton, Illinois, and he is a very big Superman fan. As soon as I learned all this, I just knew I had to make the trip up there to see him. I used three vacation days from work and I hopped in my Superman Charger and I made the 11 hour drive to see him. I went to his elementary school first as Iron Man and I took pictures with all the children and the staff at the school. I then went to Bryce’s house dressed as Superman where I met with him and his dad. Bryce was smiling ear to ear. I showed him my Superman car and I gave him some Superman stuff. I then gave him one of my extra Superman capes and he loved it. He immediately put it on and he didn’t want to take it off. I spent several hours with Bryce and I even dressed up as Iron Man for him. We then played video games for a little bit and I wish I could say I let him win but he really did beat me so many times. I left his house and went to a fundraiser that the local police department was putting on for Bryce and his family. I dressed up as Iron Man and I had my Superman Charger on display. I spent several hours there until I left to head back to Fort Worth, Texas. It was such a great experience to see how happy I had made him and his family and that is when I knew that I had found my calling. Ever since then, I will go anywhere to see any child so I can have the same impact on them as I did with Bryce and his family.
My goal is to go to all 50 states and Canada to see every child that wants to see me. I currently have been to the following states Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, New Your City, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida and of course Texas. I drive to all the states in my custom 2012 Superman Dodge Charger. I do not fly for several reasons, usually my costumes are too big and bulky and it cost way too much to fly. My Superman Charger is now over 100,000 miles so I am looking into having a Batmobile made for me so I can use that to travel the country in because my Superman Charger is not going to last that much longer. I was originally only dressing up as Superman but unfortunately I do not look like Clark Kent, so I started doing Iron Man also. I have since added more superheroes costumes to my closet so I can be whatever superhero the child I am going to see wants me to be. I currently dress up as the following superheroes:
Superman
Iron Man
Batman
Spiderman
Optimus Prime from Transformers
Baymax from Big Hero 6
Captain America
The Incredible Hulk (Coming Soon)
Black Panther (Coming Soon)
Bubble Bee from Transformers (Coming Soon)
The Hulk Buster (Coming Soon)
Armored Batman (Coming Soon)
I am very picky about all my costumes and I will a costume if it really looks like the real superhero because I want to have a lasting impression on every child I meet.
If you have a child that has cancer or any illness and you want to go see them, all you have to do is send me an email to supermandamoncole@gmail.com. Yes I will go see adults and teenagers also. I will go see anybody that wants to see me.
Just please remember that everything that I do, ALL of this is done on my own time and my own money. My police department does not pay me to do what I do so anytime I go see a child during my work hours; I have to use my vacation time to do it. I also have an 8 year old daughter Savannah myself and she is my world. I do have my police department badge and patch on my costumes because I want everyone to know that I am a police officer and it helps me build a trusting relationship with them. If I learn of a terminally ill child that wants to see me, I will drop what I am doing to make that happen as quickly as possible. I will tell you a secret about police officers that everyone seems to forget, “We are no different than anyone else. “
Call Metroplex Wraps for your next Custom Wrap today at 817.997.4431 or Come See us! We are centrally located at 2161 E. Loop 820 N. in Fort Worth, Texas 76118 next door to Texas Master Craft Boats!