WATCH – Evansville Mayor and Staff Members Recreate Viral ‘Avengers’ Swimming Pool Video
While I'm sure Mayor Lloyd Winnecke takes his job of running the city of Evansville very seriously, it's nice to see that he's not afraid to let loose and have some fun every so often. Case in point, a recent TikTok video where he and a few of his staff members recreate a viral video imitating "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" using the pool at the Deaconess Aquatic Center.
I've been fortunate to have a few interactions with Mayor Winnecke since he took office years ago and I can tell you he's very down-to-earth and easy to talk to. He has a quick wit and doesn't mind embarrassing himself a little for a good cause. Like back in 2017 when he agreed to sing a show tune live on the air with our former morning show host, Dave Fields, in exchange for a $100 donation to the Red Cross during a mediathon.
Or, the time he sang a Christmas carol with Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin and Sergeant Pat Phernetton to encourage donations to our annual 911 Gives Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive.
The point is, even though he's the mayor, he's still a human being that likes to have some fun, and apparently doesn't mind jumping into a pool while wearing a nice suit.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Staff Recreate Viral "Avengers Assemble" Challenge Video
On Wednesday, the Mayor's Office posted a video to the City of Evansville TikTok page showing the Mayor, Deputy Mayor Steve Schaefer, and two other staff members putting their own spin on the "Avengers Assemble Challenge." The original (below) featured members of a British diving team emerging from the water and posing in the stances of some of the characters from Avengers: Endgame.
Instead of the ocean and a dock, the Mayor's Office utilized the Deaconess Aquatic Center on the city's north side for their version titled, "The City of Swiftsville (Avengers Version)" (more on that in a minute).
The video begins with Deputy Mayor Schaefer emerging from the pool and landing on the deck where he catches a couple of pool noodles and a pool weight made to look like Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. He's followed by a young female who lands on the deck and strikes the pose made famous by Black Widow. The camera then pans over to show a young man leaping from the water and posing like Iron Man before Mayor Winnecke flies out of the water, completely dressed in a suit and tie, and catches a paddleboard from off-camera which he uses to pose as Captain America with his shield.
It's not a spot-on version of the original, but it's pretty good. Plus, they all jumped in the pool fully clothed, which adds to the humor.
What is Swiftsville?
To understand the reason behind Evansville being referred to as "Swiftsville," you have to go back to the two videos posted prior two the Avengers Challenge. The first of which was posted on July 25th and shows a few members of the Mayor's staff getting emotional whenever a certain Taylor Swift song comes on.
To date, that video has been viewed nearly 287,000 times which led to a comment by one viewer suggesting Evansville be renamed Swiftsville. That comment led to this video being posted the next day (July 26th).
So, I guess we live in Swiftsville, Indiana now?
The whole thing seems to be the brainchild of a young lady named, Savannah, an intern at the Mayor's Office who is referred to in the bio line on the city's TikTok account as "the world's coolest intern" and responsible for running the account. I believe she is the young lady in the Avengers video and the one who brings Mayor Winnecke the "top secret document" to sign to officially rename the city.
Whoever's idea this was, kudos to them for showing that while politics and running a city is serious business, it has a light-hearted side too.
Check out the City of Evansville's TikTok channel for more great videos.
[Source: City of Evansville on TikTok]