Sherman Oaks : Bodybuilder Gives Burn Center a Lift

He’s spent years building up his own body, so on Wednesday “Mr. Titan” made his first public appearance at Sherman Oaks Hospital’s Grossman Burn Center to visit kids who need help rebuilding theirs.

But where were the kids? The few child burn patients had just emerged from surgery and couldn’t receive visitors.

No problem. The 5-foot, 7-inch, 180-pound muscleman presented a $500 check to the center and promised to return.

“Next time they’ll be here,” he said.

Behind the title, he’s Devon Tobin, a soft-spoken North Hills resident whose childhood dream was to be a firefighter. Instead, he said, he’s happy to be a role model via the ceremonial post created by several Northridge businesses.

“[I wanted] to do something for the community,” he said.

A two-time Mr. California, the 24-year-old Tobin was selected last month to serve as the first Mr. Titan, a living symbol of “strength and endurance” for the Valley, said Howard Hughes, owner of the video store that provided the character’s name.

Dr. A. Richard Grossman, the physician the center is named for, was happy to receive Hughes’ check and said he was grateful for the support the facility receives from all over the Valley.

“It’s the community involvement that we seek,” he said, explaining that though he values contributions from corporations, “it isn’t anywhere near as meaningful as people supporting something here in the San Fernando Valley.”

Grossman said the funds would be used to care for children once they recover from their injuries, providing tuition for special schools, equipment such as wheelchairs and psychological counseling.

Posing for pictures with Grossman and staff members, the mighty Mr. Titan admitted that he, too, is vulnerable--he asked for a towel to protect his bare feet from the hot asphalt.