PHOTO: supplied.
For three years, Flat Man has been delivering care packages to Christchurch students’ flats, offering relief to those still dealing with earthquake issues.
After much thought, he has decided to expand his reach out of Canterbury. His first stop: Dunedin.
The masked superhero has recently returned from a quick-fire trip south to help Otago students who are doing it tough.
“It was absolutely epic,” he said. “Students are just stoked with anything.”
He specifically chose Otago students because of their notoriously poor living conditions.
“The flats are just horrific man,” he said. “Roofs collapsing, there’s walls broken down; they pretty much live in what we were after the quakes.”
Flat Man delivered packages to 35 different flats, despite spending only one night in the city.
For the trip, he liaised with the Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA), which posted information about Flat Man’s visit on its Facebook page. About 200 students from 150 different flats commented on the post.
The flats he visited had a variety of problems.
“From their flats being robbed, roofs collapsing, their sewage pipes exploded all over their driveways,” he said. “It’s crazy. It’s sort of next level flatting down there.”
He had difficulty deciding which flats to choose.
“I’d love to be able to go to all of them,” he said. “I mean they all deserve them (packages), maybe in the future I might be able to do something massive.”
Flat Man funded the trip through a mix of commercial sponsors and public donations.
A Christchurch car yard also donated a “Flat Man mobile delivery van” for the trip.
OUSA marketing and communications coordinator Alasdair Johnston said it was “pretty awesome” that Flat Man made the trip.
“It’s really nice to get a bit of love down here as well.”
While full of praise for Flat Man, Johnston said it took a while to get used to the superhero outfit.
“The weird thing is talking to someone in a mask,” he said. “But he’s really friendly and just a really cool guy.”
The trip had one sour note for Flat Man in the form of a $60 parking ticket earned while dropping off a package.
“It was a bit rough,” said Flat Man. “I might have to write into the council and see if I can talk to someone.”
_Ben Irwin
