Laura Zoeller

The Dougan family poses with the Stanley Cup on Ladue High School’s football field Oct. 3. The Stanley Cup was brought to Ladue as a surprise for the Dougans to honor their sister, Ari Dougan, who passed away nearly two years ago.

At 1:38 p.m. Oct. 3 students heard an unexpected announcement over the intercom calling for group one to head out to the stadium. Over the next 20 minutes, students waited in excitement as announcements called groups of students outside for a special surprise.

“Everything was really chaotic; everyone stood up immediately and started waiting at the door because we were all anxious to see what was happening,” sophomore Garison Siegel said. 

Students and teachers alike gaped in awe at the sight of the Stanley Cup when they walked into the football stadium. The cup was brought to Ladue through the foundation Spread Ari’s Light, which was founded in honor of Ari Dougan, a Ladue School District student who passed away due to cancer at age 11, Nov. 11, 2017. Ari’s siblings attend LHWHS and were surprised with the cup as an honor to their sister. 

“It was amazing because, number one: it was such a big event for St. Louis and number 2: the fact that we were able to get the cup here for all the students and to celebrate was pretty incredible,” business teacher Jessica Kennedy said.

It’s no surprise that the St. Louis Blues’s historic Stanley Cup win is held close to the hearts of loyal St. Louis fans. Especially for the Ladue community, experiencing the cup firsthand will be memorable and go down in Ladue history. 

“It was really surprising and unexpected, we were all very anxious but we are also extremely grateful for the experience,” Spanish teacher Haydee Taylor-Arnold said.