BatKid's Day Was Worth Every Penny

Turns out transforming San Francisco into Gotham City for Batkid didn't come cheap. The total cost of 5-year-old Miles Scott's Make-a-Wish Batventure? $105,000. The city went Gotham last Friday so that the 5-year-old — who's had leukemia since he was 18 months old — could fight off the Penguin, rescue a damsel, and of course, ride in the Batmobile before saving the day and receiving the key to the city. And to add to the slurry (slew + flurry) of feelings we have about that, turns out the high cost came because so many people turned out to help.

Originally, Batkid (he's awesome, so that's going to be his name henceforth) was due to receive a chocolate key from the Mayor, and just a few hundred extra volunteers were planning play various roles.

But because people are inherently wonderful, by the day of the event, 14,500 Gotham citizens were expected to swing by, and the staging went from simple to staggering. Police backup and big-screen TVs were called for.

Luckily, San Francisco's got the tab covered: The city will use the $150,000 allocated to the annual fireworks show to pay for the day's costs. So if the fireworks are a little dimmer in the Bay Area next year, at least Batkid's life will have been made brighter.

(Image: MeredithFrost/Twitter)