Celebrating Pop

Dad and his girls. 

Pop's cheering section - (l-r) Nial, Susan, Bob, Cari, Chris, Vi (where's John??)

Julie & Mom with Pop.  He was there in spirit and in the program.

Dad being introduced at the beginning of the ceremony.

Dad with Morgan Burke. 

"Um, I'm not sure I'm supposed to be in this picture, but I'm going to smile anyway."

Really nice emcee explaining the circumstances, and why Dad doesn't feel comfortable talking in front of  hundreds of people.  Me = Wishing he did.  For his sake, not mine.

Really nice emcee turning the microphone on me; I made Dad answer all of the questions for me ahead of time, so I made sure his "voice" was heard.  I was so honored to be the family's spokesperson for this event.

Not the first time they've shaken hands, I'm sure.  But the coolest.

"Thank you, Mr. Burke.  I rarely worked out while I was at Purdue, so I'm humbled to accept this athletic honor."  

Leaving the basketball court.  No other time in our lives will I have a picture of my Dad and I walking across MACKEY ARENA's basketball court, so, while a random picture, here you go.

Julie with Lin Dunn.  Shameful she's so shy.

The eight inductees into the 2012 Purdue Athletic Hall of Fame class.....Toyinda (Smith) Wilson-Long - Pop Doan (posthumously) - Gary Danielson - Jerry Sichting - Fred Beretta (posthumously) - Lin Dunn -Jeff Zgonina - Walt Eversman

Pop would be proud - his two grandsons, his great-niece, and their spouses!

Jeff Zgonina, a Hall of Fame inductee, and a "Pop Doan" award winner three years while he was playing football at Purdue! With my Dad and Uncle John (Pop's two grandsons)

The actual induction ceremony was really cool.  Each inductee was introduced as they walked across the basketball floor, and were led to VIP courtside seating.  People in attendance included HOF family members, former HOF inductees (who were publicly recognized), current athletes, current coaches, John Purdue members, and various Boiler boosters from the community.  Each inductee was honored on the big screen by a video/photo "montage," narrated with a bio of his/her life.  At the end of the clip, the honoree (or his designee) would come onto the floor and answer a series of questions about his/her post-Purdue life, and what this honor meant to him/her.  I accompanied Dad (Pop's "next of kin") to this on-court Q&A, since he determined that, as the next Boiler generation, it fell to me. to speak for him  I was incredibly honored to take the mic on his behalf, and only hope I was half as articulate as he would have been.  The pictures tell the rest of the story.