Meet Sean Reavie of Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope in The North Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Reavie.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
What became “Put on the Cape” started in 2015 when I saw a classic Batman poster and thought how amazing it would be to hang Superhero Posters on the walls and put comic books in the magazine racks of the Child Advocacy Center where I worked as a Child Crimes Detective. Before that came to be, I was interviewing a child concerning the abuse that just happened to him. I started as a detective in the crimes against children unit in 2013 and often saw children sad and afraid when they came to the advocacy center where I worked, During my interview, the child was huddled in the chair, not able to make eye contact and not answering questions. I grew up a superhero nerd and off the cuff, I simply asked him who his favorite superhero was. It instantly changed his demeanor. He became alert and strong and we talked at length about the new Avengers movie and how he loved Iron Man.

After the interview, it dawned on me most superhero origin stories are of overcoming tragedy. Spiderman lost Uncle Ben, was bullied, and an orphan. Batman saw his parents die. Iron Man? Shrapnel in the chest. They used those terrible moments to become true heroes. That weekend, I went to see Ant-Man and saw men, women, and children all wearing superhero t-shirts, smiling, laughing, and playing as all children should. My vision expanded from posters and comic books the superhero t-shirts and action figures.

With all this in my head, I wanted to find a way to empower the victim children who came to the center. In the case of acute abuse, the child is with me for a short time. They come in, undergo interviews, medical exams, mental health exams, have their clothing taken as evidence, and are not able to handle the trauma happening to them. “Superhero September” started as a way to empower those children during this terrible time. When they came in, they saw their favorite hero on the wall, took a comic book, and played. This removed them from the sad world in which they arrived, and made them feel like a kid again. After they left, they were given their favorite action figure and superhero t-shirt. It instantly changed them.

Two events were held in September of that year and $4,000 was raised for the center. Each year the event grew in size and impact. In 2018, 12 events were held across the valley with $40,000 raised. Heroes United AZ, a volunteer cosplay group, worked with me from the beginning. They grew from eight members to 80 during this time. My biggest goal when I started was to not just provide the child with toys and shirts, but provide all their needs. They come here in dirty clothing and rumbling bellies. Now, because of our growth, those children get clean clothing, food, toiletries, schools supplies, and other basic necessities.

After the success we had, I made the decision to incorporate so we could do events for all advocacy centers in Arizona and other states. On January 23, 2019, that dream came true. “Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope” was organized as a non-profit and applied for 501c3 status. The head of the Cosplay group, Gus Matos, who shook my hand and pledged his time to help build my vision, accepted my offer to be Vice President of the board of directors in charge of all event coordination. Danielle Gilmore, who was fresh out of college when she came to work at the advocacy center, helped grow the event 500 percent between year two and three. Danielle accepted my offer to be treasurer of the Foundation.

We have added several people to our committees and are booked through September in regard to events. We attend movie openings, corporate events, and even birthday parties. All we ask is a donation be made to our foundation to aid our victim children.

Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing worthwhile is. We have had a lot of bumps in the road. In year two, we had an event within a local business. The owner did no promotion other than hanging a handwritten sign on the door saying “Superhero event Saturday.” We sat there for three hours and had 10 people wander in the store. At day’s end, I picked up the donation box and there were two items in there: a can of lentil beans and a rubber chicken squeak toy. It was very defeating. The owner also did not make his promised donation. We learned a lot in the first two years, replaced events that didn’t work, and created new ones that did.

Our first event was September 1, 2015. We had six heroes, all police and firefighters, the public didn’t attend, and one TV station showed up. Last year, we had 48 costumed heroes, 3,000 people in attendance, and every TV station in the valley, it is an incredible feeling. We’ve watched the community embrace and support this in a way we never imagined.

After year two struggled, our benefactor of the fundraising decided to no longer aid in our efforts to promote the event as it did not raise enough money for them to justify it. Instead of letting that defeat or end our mission, we doubled down. Between year two and three, we increased donations by 500 percent. between three and four, 400 percent. If something is started for the right reason and done the right way, things work out for the best regardless of those obstacles.

Often, when it appears, we may have misfired or are in a struggle, someone will always say, “rubber chicken” and we all burst out laughing, roll our sleeves up, and get busy.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope story. Tell us more about the business.
We provide comfort and hope to children suffering from acute physical and sexual abuse. We are unique in that aspect. Children who come to advocacy centers are victims of crimes. Our Foundation raises money and in-kind donations and provides advocacy centers items of need to support those children. The Child Advocacy Center in Phoenix saw more than 8,000 children last year. Centers do not have budgets for items such as clothing, toys, food, drink, etc. We want to remove that burden from them by providing funding for those items. We are known for our traveling Superhero Rock and Roll show and our “Superhero Shopping Sprees” that sees 20 plus heroes shopping at Walmart or Target stores with sponsor-provided money to purchase those items. This incredible visibility gives us a platform to raise awareness for child abuse prevention.

We are most proud of opening a dialogue within our community and empowering them to be apart of our mission. Child abuse is a sad topic. Connecting Superheroes with the topic brings interest. TV, print media, social media, our mission is spread across all those platforms. People want to be part of something that works toward empowering children.

We are the only charity that uses Superhero Mythology to aid in the healing process of recently abused children. Our Foundation has access to these precious children in a way no other organization does and we use that access to make their lives better. Recently, we were invited to take part in the opening ceremonies for the Arizona Special Olympics including lighting the flame. The organizers heard about the work we do and reached out. That is a proud moment.

Another source of pride is we expanded our mission to my home state of Michigan. Three events are planned as part of our 5th annual Superhero September Spectacular. Recently during my work as a detective, we worked a 12 hour day with multiple cases involving young females. I went to the toy closet to get them a Barbie doll and was shocked to find none. Not a single one. In the past, this was problematic. Now, I called Danielle (my treasurer) and authorized her to release funds to purchase 200 Barbie dolls for the center. That is a source of pride. We can, so we do. I asked the director of the center to tell me when they are running out of basic needs and I will get them for her through our Foundation.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were just starting out?
We had to make mistakes and learn from them before we could grow. Changing something, in the beginning, would impact the outcome. We started for the right reason and the right way and it worked itself out naturally. We had our eyes on something other than our gain when we started. If you overcome the obstacles and keep the focus on the right thing, it will work. Our board takes no salary. Everyone gives their time to make the life of a child better.

That said, incorporating after year three was the right step but it’s been corrected. I took steps to not only protect the money raised, ensuring 100 percent of it goes to the children, but I also trademarked what I could and have my intellectual property protected as others had attempted to use my template and creations for their own gain. Now, I can pick and choose where it goes and for what purpose. Hint, the only purpose I will ever approve is 100 percent of the money raised benefits children who deserve a hero. Our long-range plans include paying off school lunch balances so children don’t spend their day hungry when they need to be learning.

The single greatest quote from any superhero comes from the Spiderman universe: “With Great Power, comes great responsibility.” As a sworn peace officer and detective in the most sensitive detail imaginable, I have great power. I also have a great responsibility to ensure those children who walk in our door are taken care of. If we change the life of one child, that is generational. To me, I am just an average man who had an above average idea that above average people resonated with and asked if they could help. That is how you create something.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.putonthecape.com
• Email: putonthecape52@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Putonthecape/

Image Credit:
Tony Julius, Sean Reavie, Put on the Cape Foundation

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