St. Louis Blues Give A Young Fan A Lifetime Memory

Jan 14, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center David Backes (42) and Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal (12) face off as St. Louis Cardinals President Bill Dewitt III. (L) and St. Louis Blues chairmen Tom Stillman (R) drop the puck before the game at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center David Backes (42) and Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal (12) face off as St. Louis Cardinals President Bill Dewitt III. (L) and St. Louis Blues chairmen Tom Stillman (R) drop the puck before the game at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Blues have long been pillars in the community. We know this, but until you see it displayed in front of your eyes, you forget how much they care.

In today’s world and with the problems we face as a society, it is easy to become jaded. The St. Louis Blues give us hope and not just in the sporting sense.

Of course, being all of our favorite hockey team, they provide us something to look forward to each year. We all yearn for the days when the ice is on the floor, the boards are up and that cool air hits us as we enter the arena.

No matter how much we get down in our lives, we always have the Blues to look forward to. Even when the team breaks our hearts in the postseason, we return each fall with renewed hope.

Sometimes we forget just how special the people involved with the team can be. We look at them as stars on the ice or broadcasters or executives.

Little do we see how big their hearts can be until we are made to see. Such was the case with the St. Louis Blues and their alumni honoring little Will Bartold, one of their biggest fans.

I encourage everyone reading this to watch the video in its entirety. It is 3:41 well spent.

Over the years, I’ve become a bit more hardened to the world. Tired of the foolishness wrought upon us by politics and divisiveness, it is easy to forget the joy that simple kindness can bring.

Even as a “tough guy”, watching this video made the eyes water up a bit and there is no shame saying so.

All sports have their heroes and that doesn’t refer to on the field. We see make-a-wish kids with their favorite football player or even pro wrestlers.

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There are lots of examples of Cardinals and, when they were here, Rams players involved in charities and making visits to children’s hospitals. However, it just seems like hockey players have that extra connection.

The Blues in particular, perhaps because they are our local team, seem to have a special way of connecting. Hockey players in general seem to just have that little extra way of appearing more genuine.

None of that is to take away any of the good works other athletes and franchises do. It is merely a comment on the sport we all love and how readily many of them become available when it is time to give back.

It doesn’t always require hundreds or millions of dollars donated. As exemplified by Will’s story, something as simple as a group of hockey players giving the kid stick taps can create a memory that he and his family will remember for a lifetime. Even those that watched that video will remember.

Nothing earth shattering or society changing happened there. Yet, it is those small things that inovolve only one or perhaps a few that can have the strongest impact.

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Kudos to the Blues and all involved for such a gesture in this one instance. A great thanks should go out to all the Blues and all those around the country that give their time and have given time in such ventures over history.

It’s no wonder we give our hearts so openly to the Blues. They give their hearts right back, so it is easy to love when it is a two-way street.