“Spiderman from the neighbourhood” helps again

Mattia Villardita is gate and cargo controller at APM Terminals Vado Ligure in Italy, but outside of working hours he changes his protective gear for a superhero costume. Known to his fans as “Spiderman from the neighbourhood”, he is once again helping those in need impacted by the pandemic.

For over three years, Mattia Villardita has been combining his day job at APM Terminals Vado Ligure in Italy with his passion for helping others while revealing his inner superhero. Mattia’s alter ego is Spiderman, who visits young patients in nearby hospitals to cheer them up during difficult times and share his experience of spending countless days in hospitals in between operations. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in early Spring put those face-to-face visits on hold, but his activity moved online, much to the joy of his young fans and their families.

Now, the local superhero from Savona once again makes headlines with his new charity initiative called “Spiderman pizza”.

“Due to the pandemic, I once again had to postpone some of my upcoming charity plans. But I simply couldn’t just wait and do nothing instead”, shares Mattia.

Special deliveries for a special cause

With the new restrictions re-imposed in Italy to limit the second wave of the pandemic during Autumn, many people in affected communities, as well as numerous local businesses, found themselves in financial difficulties. To help them, Mattia came up with an idea of a “chain of goodwill”, where his Spiderman once again has a chance to bring joy to youngsters.

The idea is simple – families with children who need psychological support during difficult times can order special pizza packages to be delivered to their homes. The packages include pizzas and beverages from a local pizzeria, delivered by none other than Spiderman himself! The revenue from these deliveries will then be divided, with one part allowing the pizzeria to survive and pay its employees during the period of very limited business activity, with the other part creating a special charity fund for the local paediatric hospital to help it arrange Christmas for its your patients.

Mattia never doubted that people would buy into his idea, but the response to his initiative was simply amazing. “My phone did not stop ringing for two days”, says Mattia, who couldn’t be happier that the time he spends with his young proteges helps yet another cause.

Local connections

Mattia is part of a young and vibrant workforce of APM Terminals Vado Ligure, which opened in late 2019 and has remained fully operational throughout the pandemic, serving customers and continuously contributing to the local community and the economy. This semi-automated Ligurian terminal serves as a gateway not only to Italy, but also to many markets located to its north.

Mattia Villardita will continue to share his passion for container logistics with his charity work and his numerous engagements as the local “Spiderman del quartiere” (Spiderman from the neighbourhood). “It feels great to be able to combine these two important elements of my life, which allows me to give the most of me in whatever I do”, he comments.