As a part of Opening Day ceremonies to begin the 2015 Major League Baseball season, a nine-year-old boy named Alex saw a wish come true when he was able to ride around Busch Stadium in St. Louis as the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horse trotted around the field.
Alex, who lives in Michigan, was able to achieve this goal due to the combined efforts of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the St. Louis Cardinals. A video of the event, lasting nearly 3 1/2 minutes, begins with Alex being placed in the cart and following his path throughout the stadium, has garnered more than 166,000 views since it was posted on April 29.
During Alex’s trip around the stadium, whereby he emerges from underneath the outfield bleachers, he can be seen eagerly waving to the fans in attendance.
In the video, the stadium organist can be heard playing, “Here Comes the King,” the tune most associated with Budweiser, the former owners of the team. Due to the long tradition associated with the song and the team, the ritual has continued under the new ownership.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation’s main mission is to grant the wishes of children who are either terminally or seriously ill. There’s no indication of what Alex’s situation is, but he did remark to his mother after the event was over that, “It was the best day ever.”
Alex’s wish was based on his love of horses that’s spanned virtually his entire life, beginning at the age of two.