Josh Schaffer lives in Chicago, Illinois, but he can often be spotted turning heads in a go-kart around Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
There, he wears a “disguise” and goes by a different name. But he’s not on a top secret mission – he’s just trying to spread some smiles!
When Josh first bought a go-kart back in June, he never expected to become a local celebrity. He started driving it around for fun, and people kept pointing out that his small vehicle reminded them of the game “Mario Kart.”
Instead of blowing off their observations, he went with it! He attached a Mario doll to the front of his kart and dressed up as the iconic coin-collecting plumber. Before long, he’d earned the nickname “Milwaukee Mario.”
Nowadays, he even plays the classic video game theme song as he rides around, sending waves of nostalgia out wherever he goes! It’s nearly impossible for his neighbors to miss him or frown as he passes by.
“With the pandemic going on, people they aren’t having fun like they used to, so to see me riding around, that instantly brings joy,” Josh said.
Since then, he has delighted Mario fans in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Des Moines. And he’s more than happy to pose for pictures – and let others take his go-kart for a test drive!
All he wants is to leave people more cheerful than he found them, and clearly, he’s doing an amazing job.
“I just want to let everybody know I’m just trying to bring positivity to the world, and to watch for me riding around, give me a wave, give me a holler,” he added.
What a fun way to lift his community’s spirits! We only wish Josh could make it to every city. Even if he doesn’t, he’s already brightened our day!
See Milwaukee Mario in action in the video below, and share this story to help him spread more joy.
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