Did you miss seeing The Stanley Cup this weekend? Oh my, it was a sight to behold. Not just the cup itself, but the THOUSANDS of people who came out to Danvers, Illinois, early Saturday morning to take their photo with it!
How did it end up here? First we thank The Chicago Blackhawks for winning the cup again. (3rd time in 5 years, hello dynasty) Then, we look to Jay Blunk, graduate of NCHS and ISU, who is a senior vice president with the Chicago Blackhawks, and his parents Dave and Sharon Blunk of Danvers. Put these hockey lovers all together with a summer festival called Danvers Days, and you have a golden opportunity to touch greatness just off Route 9.
And who brought the actual cup to central Illinois and then will take it on tour? That would be Phil Pritchard.
Phil is one of the Keepers of the Stanley Cup (follow him on Twitter to follow his super fun life). His job is to travel with the cup to appearances all over the world! Sometimes that includes taking it to the homes of hockey players whose team has taken the sport’s top prize. When he’s not squiring the Cup around, Pritchard is the Vice President and Curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
(Photos by Susan Saunders and Dan Westhoff)
Thank you to everybody who made the day run so smoothly, and for inviting WBNQ to be part of the fun. We can only hope we get to do it again next year!
8-17-15
