MUNCIE, Ind.(NewsLink) -- The intersection at McGalliard Rd. and Franklin St. is a busy one, but it's also where the 'Muncie Smiles Man' marks his spot to wave at everyone who drives by.
"I didn't come up with the name, I didn't even think it would really blow up" he said.
You probably know him by his Facebook page, which has over 2,000 likes, or by the various costumes he walks up and down the street with.
Last fall, he was seen for one of the first times on the Ball State campus in a dinosaur costume. He was featured on Barstool Ball State.
Behind the costumes, and the Facebook page, is a 23-year-old Ball State college student, Matthew Peiffer.
"I saw that it was creating an emotional response with people," Peiffer said.
Putting a smile on people's faces is the goal of the Muncie Smiles Man, but for Peiffer, it's a deeper meaning into his past.
"As a child, I was abused for 13 years of my life, I was a foster kid, and I aged out of foster care."
Through all of this trauma, he created a non for profit called "A Voice For Kids Inc." to advocate for abusive, homeschool, adoption, and foster care situations.
Peiffer has taken the trauma of his childhood to create a growing Muncie public figure. His goal is to change the mood of someone driving home angry. He hopes that someone going home with the intention to abuse someone will feel joy by seeing him and rethink what they are about to do.
"The goal and hope is, if someone is having a bad day, and seeing a costume on the side of the street and associate that with happiness, and hopefully won't go home and abuse their kids, spouse, or anyone."
The Muncie Smiles Man keeps growing, and he is surely spreading joy and smiles around town. Often you will see people pose to take pictures with him. It's like a game to the Muncie community to see what he's going to dress up as next.
Peiffer buys all the costumes with his own money, so you can find his PayPal link to donate to help him buy new costumes. You can also check out Pfeiffer's non for profit at his website.
