Robert Downey Jr honors New York City teens who volunteered to help Hurricane Sandy ravaged areas

Iron Man proved his mettle.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. played the hero Monday night, making an unannounced cameo at a

special screening of “Iron Man 3,” co-hosted by Disney and the Daily News to honor teens from 

the Police Athletic League who volunteered to clean up Hurricane Sandy-ravaged areas around

the city.

When his name was announced the 39 honored teens - as well as the several hundred fellow 

PAL members and family who thronged the gargantuan theater in Manhattan’s E-walk multiplex

 — the cheers and squeals were defeaning from the shocked crowd.

“I’m from New York and Tony Stark’s from New York, so I guess that means Iron Man’s from

 New York,” the actor, looking like a rock star in a white tuxedo jacket, sunglasses and silver 

sneakers, told the crowd.

Actor Robert Downey, Jr. tells the crowd that they are the future and 'I guarantee if you keep doing the right thing, you’re going to be running the joint.'

“I just want to say thank you to the Daily News and the Police Athletic League and all of you 

folks. I know you’re all here because you’ve been doing somethng special in the five boroughs, 

for this great city.

“You’re the future of the nation. I guarantee if you keep doing the right thing, you’re going to be 

running the joint in a minute,” he said, before posing for pictures with the wide-eyed guests of 

honor.

Downey had wanted to keep the visit a secret — to see the look of surprise on the kids’ faces.

"I'm just out of words," said Corey Fitchett, 18, one of the real-life heroes being honored, after 

the screening. "It definitely shows he cares about volunteers and the community."

“I think that went well,” Downey told a Daily News reporter — but not before pausing to take a 

few photos with the police officers that were stationed outside the theater for security.

This bit of PR clearly meant a little more to Downey.

“Of course,” he said, “it’s my hometown.”

“Everywhere we drive, I have a memory of playing Frisbee in front of that office building or trying 

to sneak into the back door of a ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ midnight showing, because I 

knew someone who was working concessions,” he added.

“Also, coming back here reminds me of my origins, so it’s thematically concurrent with what 

Tony Stark’s doing.”

Source - http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/iron-man-3-downey-surprises-kids-screening-article-1.1330686