Ordinary people asked to save superhero's 'birthplace'

For more than 75 years, Superman has been fighting for truth, justice and the American way.

Now he needs help in return.

Superman's birthplace -- bet you thought he was from Krypton -- is in danger of being destroyed. The modest Cleveland bungalow where artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel first sketched the adventures of a bulletproof man from the stars is under attack not by evil, but age. Neglected for many years, the house will probably be beyond repair in a few months.

Fortunately, Superman has a hero in author Brad Meltzer. Mr. Meltzer, upon hearing of the house's condition, started the Siegel & Shuster Foundation and launched the Ordinary People Can Change the World campaign and Web site (www.ordinarypeoplechange theworld.com). The goal is, without government or corporate grants, to have ordinary people, the millions of fans who have grown up in the shadow of the Man of Steel, to raise the funds to save the house. The immediate concern is its exterior. Once that is stabilized, the plan is to move on to the interior.

There are two fundraising efforts, an eBay celebrity auction going on for the next month, and a T-shirt sale.

What I find appealing about this effort is how true it is to the spirit of Superman. This is an effort about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. In a short promotional film on the Web site, there's a quote: "Superman is what I do. Clark is who I am."

We all have a little Superman in us. We are all capable, when the moment arises, to figuratively pop those buttons and reveal the hero beneath.

Sure, in our everyday lives we are probably more the bespectacled reporter (some more than others, I guess) but I would like to believe that there are also moments when we soar.

It would be a shame to lose the place where some of those feelings were first explored.

I am making a donation not just because I'm a fan of Superman (although I am) or Clark Kent (the resemblance is striking), but because I admire what this group stands for and the way they are approaching this project.

I'll never fly. I'll never leap buildings in a single bound. But I can stop being Clark Kent for a few minutes -- and a few dollars -- and show my inner Superman.

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.