Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

Special Interests

This is a page dedicated to special people we have run across in our travels.

 

Ira – An energetic young man with a heart of gold. March 24, 2018

“This is who we are. This is what we do.” – Tom Gebhardt, Ghostheads.

The Louisiana Ghostbusters mandate is public service. This special case involving a little boy with a heart condition is an example of why we do what we do.

In 2011 when young Ira was facing his third heart operation, he was asked what his Make-A-Wish America choice would be. He wanted to meet Ghostbusters. There wasn’t much going on with the franchise at the time and his family wasn’t aware of any local franchises to call, so Ira had to go with his second choice to meet Buzz Lightyear.

Needless to say, Ira’s mom found out about who we are and what we do, so we secretly prepared to have him meet up with us at one of our fan filming locations. Ira was told he was going to Toys R Us by his mom to obscure the real destination. As the ride progressed and the landscape became more rural, he kept asking his mom if she was sure there was a Toys R Us where he was going. Ira couldn’t see over the seat in his mom’s vehicle so it was a huge surprise when he got out and realized there was an ECTO and a whole bunch of suited up Louisiana Ghostbusters. Not only did Ira receive a whole storage container full of Ghostbuster memorabilia but he got to ride in the ECTO and play with the lights and siren. After that, he played a part in the film as a child of a home owner who just encountered a ghostly presence. Ira was presented with inducted as a honorary member of the Ghostbusters and also was given one of the highly sought after challenge coins.

Thanks to our members who donated so many toys and comics, the staff of Ghost Corps, artist Tim Lattie (Lattie Ink), Actress Robin Shelby, and Actor Ernie Hudson for their contributions to this endeavor.