Once In A Lifetime

If you're lucky, sometime in your life you'll get to enjoy a "once in a lifetime" event. You know, one of those things that you just know will never, in all likelihood, happen again.  Something that you'll tell your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I think my nephew Chad would say he's had a once in a lifetime experience.

Chad lives with his wife, daughter and son in Alpena.  He owns a business there and is active in the community. His son plays hockey.

As luck would have it:

• The Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association was playing a benefit game in Alpena last night (Saturday, February 18, 2012). 
• And Chad's Uncle Joe Maust is a Red Wings Fan.
• And Uncle Joe flies his own airplane.
• And for some reason, unknown to me, THE Stanley Cup was at the benefit game and needed to get to Philadelphia.
• And Joe was asked to fly it from Alpena to Philadelphia.
• And, since Joe had to fly into Alpena, he needed a ride to the benefit game, and he and the cup (and it's guardian) needed a ride back to the airport.
•  And Chad, living in Alpena, and having large vehicles... 

You know what the once in a lifetime event is, right?

I guess these pictures are worth a thousands words!

Chad in his office with the Stanley Cup on his desk.

The Esch family with the Stanley Cup.
From left, Morgan, Chad, Mike the cup handler, Nicholas, Sharon.

"Uncle Joe" Maust (left) with the cup and
Mike, the cup's official handler.