Winning the Stanley Cup was an unbelievable experience for the fans and the Blues. Not surprisingly, everyone is more than excited to get a chance to see the Cup in person.

That moment became a reality for the staff and students of Castlio Elementary on Aug. 26 when the Stanley Cup took a trip to the St. Charles school. Over 800 students and teachers got to see the dazzling silver cup up close and in person courtesy of St. Louis Blues Head Equipment Manager Joel Farnsworth, whose children, fourth-grader Abby and first-grader Joel, attend Castlio.

The Farnsworth family moved to St. Louis in 2009 and specifically chose to live in St. Charles for the Francis Howell School District, according to Joel Sr.

The Stanley Cup arrived at Castlio in the early afternoon. But its arrival was a carefully guarded secret. To keep the surprise going, the school conducted a loose fire drill to get the students out of their classrooms. After the students and staff were outside and lined up, the sweet sounds of “Gloria” began playing and the Stanley Cup, filled with goodies for the students, was revealed.

“It was a tough secret to keep, but it’s pretty awesome that my dad was able to bring the Cup to our school,” said Abby. “I think my friends were really surprised and excited. It’s still hard for me to imagine that it was really here, and we could touch it.”

The Cup made stops in both Abby’s and Joel’s classrooms, and they were so excited to share the moment with their friends.

When asked what she would do if she had the Cup for a day, Abby responded, “I would take it to an ice cream factory so I could get some free ice cream!”

When Abby’s friend, Ava, was asked the same question, she said, “I would take it to Boston and brag to all of the Bruins fans!”

Joel Jr. said his favorite thing about hockey was when he was able to attend the game with his family and watch the Blues win the Stanley Cup!

To finish out the afternoon, everyone posed for a group photo with the Cup.

“When Mr. Farnsworth told me that we were going to be able to have the Cup here at Castlio, I thought it would be a great opportunity for our students to be a part of something historic, with the Blues winning the Cup for the first time,” Castlio Principal Tim Scholle said. “For the Farnsworth family to give a portion of their day with the Cup to our school community was priceless and amazing.

“The kids loved every minute of it, and our staff was overwhelmed.”