Teacher Youri Lavrijsen will be dressed as Captain America for two days this week at the Norbertus Gertrudis Lyceum in Roosendaal. In his superhero outfit, he raises money to support Ukrainians who have ended up in a war with Russia.
With his blue-white-red suit, Youri shows almost the same courage as Captain America himself. This iconic Marvel Comics superhero is known for his fight against the great evil and commitment to justice.
Well, leave that to the high school teacher, too. Equipped with a characteristic shield, Youri has collected 350 euros for Giro 555 for Ukraine.
“Initially, the target amount was 250 euros for a day as Captain America. It went much faster than expected. Then I offered to make it two days if we would tap 350 euros. That was settled quickly,” laughs Youri.
For him, that amount means more than dry numbers. “For the students who give money, two or three euros is already a lot of money. The fact that they donate something to Giro 555 instead of buying a snack with that money makes it worth twice as much for me.”
Youri has actually only received positive reactions at school. “The students think it’s daring. They didn’t expect me to do it. But promise is debt.” He accepts that his suit is a bit tight. “It’s a good thing I don’t have those muscles”, he chuckles from behind his shield.