Video: St. Paul Winter Carnival Royalty Visits Visitation School in Mendota Heights

Students at received a royal treat Friday morning when members of the St. Paul Winter Carnival Royalty stopped by for some surprise ceremonial business.

Two Montessori teachers, Kathy Lingofelt-Meyers and Carrie Kisch-Paul, as well as a Montessori student, CJ Berg, were knighted. The boy stole the hearts of many when he marched out to the King's Guards and joined their ranks early in the assembly.

Berg's mother Bernadette is  one of two royalty coordinators.

But the crowd really celebrated when director of Campus Ministry Kathy Daniewicz was called forward. Daniewicz received the "King Boreas Spirit of '76" award recognizing outstanding volunteers in the community. The royal family is collecting the names of 76 exceptional volunteers to honor with a resolution that will be presented to the Minnesota Legislature. 

Daniewicz has been with the school for almost 20 years. According to the school, in that time, she has spearheaded and organized a number of outreach efforts that have raised tens of thousands of fundraising dollars and impacted thousands of students and families. In addition to planning prayer services, liturgies and retreats, her efforts include the annual coordination of a Thanksgiving food drive and a Christmas stocking drive, camp and school supply collections, 14 senior service trips to Guatemala and organization of out-of-uniform days to raise money for nonprofits.