Less than a year ago, a 9-year boy named Caine spent his
summer vacation building an arcade with cardboard boxes. It started off with a
game or two and soon enough, the arcade was taking over his dad’s auto parts
shop. Using his imagination and plenty of cardboard boxes, Caine created
classic games such as the claw machine and an elaborative pinball machine. He
even found a way to dispense the tickets like a real arcade game would.
It was only a matter of time before someone discovered this
gold mine of imagination, creativity and ingenuity. A young man entered the
auto shop looking for a door handle for his car and came upon Caine’s arcade.
He bought a fun pass and became Caine’s first customer. Little did they know
that both of their lives would change after that day. Caine’s first customer,
Nirvan Mullick, eventually made a short video featuring the arcade and put it
online. The video went viral in a few days and caught the attention of the
media and celebrities. At one point, Caine’s Arcade, had a line with a 4-hour
wait.
The story of the young boy from East L.A. inspired a
movement. Caine’s College Scholarship Fund raised over $100,000. Moreover, the
story inspired other kids to create their own arcade games using cardboard
boxes and their imagination. Teachers incorporated these projects into their
curriculum and instead of children spending their summers watching TV or
playing video games, they were able to use their mind, ingenuity and
resourcefulness to create a fun world of their own.
