Lenny Robinson, a Batman impersonator who visits hospitalized children across the country, has found himself without a lot of gigs after the shootings in Colorado.

Continue reading

Robinson says the hospitals are worried he'll scare children instead of bringing a bright spot to their day.

For years, Robinson has been spreading a message of strength and hope to those in need.

Robinson is probably best known as the "Route 29" Batman after police pulled him over for only having a Batman license plate. When they found out he was heading to Georgetown Hospital in his Batman-themed Lamborghini, he was not ticketed.

Monday, the Maryland man visited a hospital in Indianapolis.

"Everybody is just lifted into a much higher spirit, and you see tears turn to smiles," Robinson said.

His cross-country tour started six weeks ago when he picked up a custom made Bat Mobile in British Columbia, Canada. While heading east to his home in Maryland, he's made more than a dozen stops.

But something unforeseen and unforgettable happened along the way.

On July 20, a dozen people attending a midnight showing of the latest Batman installment were gunned down. Fifty-eight others were injured.

Robinson was in Idaho at the time.

"My heart broke, and I felt such sorrow," he said.

In the wake of the tragedy, Robinson said administrators at hospitals in St. Louis and Chicago called off his scheduled visits, fearing his presence may upset the young lives he's trying to brighten.

Robinson added, "I want to be a person to help resolve situations and help do things that are good...if my appearance would be the opposite then iIm not doing what my mission is all about."

He says he understands and respects the cancellations.

"... it's not about me, and it's not about Batman. It's about the kids that are in the hospitals fighting 24/7 for their lives."

He says since the Colorado shooting, no one during any of his performances has brought up the incident.

After stops this week in Ohio and West Virginia, Robinson returns home to Maryland.