Kids peering out the windows of Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence got a visit they had been anticipating this week from Batman, Superman and Spider-Man, who rappelled down the side of the building in full costume. The superheroes were really window washers, suited up to turn a routine cleaning job into a moment of pure joy for young patients watching from inside.
According to WJAR, the costumed crew waved to children inside the hospital as they made their way down the exterior, aiming to give patients a break from their daily routines and put smiles on their faces. The outlet reports the window washers have taken part in the event for six years, bringing superhero cheer to a building in Providence, Rhode Island.
A Break From the Routine of Treatment
Zachary Motuliski, Clinical Manager of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Hasbro Children's Hospital, said the appearance brings something families and children facing difficult circumstances badly need. “It just brings a lot of light to the day,” he said, per WJAR. Motulski added that the surprise interrupts the routine of vital signs and medication, the outlet notes, saying that “to break that up and just see the children smile is really important.”
David Cotter, president of Fish Window Cleaning, was careful to deflect the credit, according to WJAR, saying the patients and medical staff are the real heroes while his crew simply wears the costumes. The visit also brought a moment of cheer to children and families facing difficult circumstances.
Spider-Man and Batman Scale the Building Before
This isn't the first time capes have appeared on Hasbro's windows. A visit documented by wpri.com described Spider-Man, Batman and Superman rappelling down the sides of the hospital on a Friday morning, with workers from Fish Window Cleaning of Rhode Island behind the masks. That outlet reported the team has carried on the Halloween tradition since 2014 to brighten the spirits of children and their families, though a separate account from Patch described a September 23 visit as the first time Fish Window Cleaning superheroes had appeared at Hasbro at all — a discrepancy that remains unresolved between the two reports.
A similar October 2025 appearance covered by turnto10.com brought smiles to young patients inside and was described as having become an annual tradition meant to spread a little joy to the kids and their parents. Separately, newsnationnow.com quoted hospital director Sharon Couto, who said the event comforts children and makes a difficult hospital experience a bit better for them. Fish Window Cleaning owner Dave Cotter told that outlet the crew genuinely looks forward to it each year, saying, “They love doing it. They actually want to do it every year.”
Not the Only Hospital With Costumed Window Washers
Hasbro isn't alone in the costumed-window-washer business. According to cbsnews.com, window washers from Allegheny Window Cleaning have spent ten years dressing up in costumes and capes to scale UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, with a 2024 crew featuring Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and Captain America. The Patch report on the Hasbro event framed the visit as a way to give patients a distraction from the challenges they face every day, describing the best part as simply seeing the smiles on their faces.
Back in Rhode Island, earlier coverage from boston.com documented that the Fish Window Cleaning crew had already donned capes and masks for four years by 2016, with Captain America, Batman and Spider-Man making appearances for patients and families. Whatever the exact start date, the costumed crew's return to Hasbro's windows has become something patients, families and hospital staff can count on each fall.
