Jake and Josh’s Epic Day
Jake and Josh Johnson, 17-year-old twins from New Brighton who both have had major heart surgeries to address congenital conditions, were invited to take a tour of Schussler’s Gizmos Gadgets & Gears restaurant concept in St. Louis Park, which is part of the Schussler Creative Inc.’s building at 7700 Hwy. 7.
The twins were joined by Batman, who stopped by to crack jokes as the Johnsons ate Park Tavern pizza. After their last bite, a wall opened to reveal the Superhero Command Center, which is part of the Super Heroes with Super Kids Foundation. They work with the nonprofit Wishes & More to provide memorable experiences for kids facing catastrophic illnesses.
In the center of the floor, a 1994 Batmobile commanded attention as the twins entered the Command Center. Outside the center’s garage door, the Batmobile from 1966, owned by Mike Karch, also awaited inspection.
Jake and Josh climbed into the Batmobiles and were escorted by the St. Louis Park Police and Fire departments on a parade fit for Super Heroes. Together, the twins, their friends, and their family enjoyed dessert at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park.
The goal of Wishes & More is to help kids with terminal and life-threatening conditions, Karla Blomberg said, the volunteer president of the organization, as Jake and Josh Johnson visited the center this month.
“We built a Superhero Command Center with superheroes and Batmobiles and all kinds of nostalgia to make these children and these teenage kids feel an experience that they’ve never had before so that they’re laughing, they’re smiling and they’re enjoying life,” said Schussler, who founded the center with his wife, Sunhi Ryan-Schussler.
