INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference has named Ray and Cindy Bippus as this year’s recipients of the Dr. Thomas Kearns Service Award, it was announced Wednesday by the conference office. The married tandem is a long-time supporter of the University of Southern Indiana, the GLVC and NCAA Division II.
The Bippus’ will be formally recognized at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car/Spring Awards Banquet in St. Louis on May 19.
Aiding the USI athletic department in various roles for more than 25 years, the couple stepped in to help the conference at the 2012 GLVC Baseball Tournament. They were instrumental in securing individuals to take tickets, sell apparel, pick up food for the hospitality areas and umpires for all games played at Bosse Field and the USI Field during the event. More importantly, they added a personal touch to the event by consistently greeting student-athletes, coaches, parents, fans, and media as they entered the facility and always had an encouraging word to share with these groups following the day’s competition. They returned for the 2013 and 2014 GLVC Baseball Tournament, volunteering in the same capacities and continuing to be outstanding ambassadors for both the GLVC and USI as a valuable part of tournament staff.
After such a positive experience, and considering the great help they provided, the conference reached out to the duo again this year to enlist their help at the 2015 GLVC Basketball Tournament at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. True to their nature, they both agreed to help without hesitation even though the event was outside of Evansville. They assumed oversight responsibility for both the student-athlete and the tournament staff/volunteer/media hospitality areas during all four days of the championship. They monitored and controlled access to both areas, stocked both areas with refreshments and donated meals, and also drove to local restaurants to pick up product. Their volunteer help went beyond merely checking credentials as they once again took time to engage the teams, volunteers, and guests with friendly and cordial dialogue. They were fixtures at the arena for over 12 hours each day and then assisted the conference office staff with tear down and loading of the vans on Sunday evening, following the championship games. Their supervision of the student-athlete hospitality area resulted in cost-savings to the league because of the manner in which they monitored the refreshments.
Additionally, the pair has truly set the standard when it comes to “hosting” a team or an event. Along with the numerous events they have assisted with for USI and the GLVC, they have also organized the hosts for the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championships the past two years in Evansville. Every team that has come to Evansville can attest to the fact that their hosts have been extremely helpful, organized, and determined; determined to make their stay at the championships one that they will never forget.
Ray and Cindy are always asking how they can help and at the same time, always cognizant of NCAA rules and regulations. They always ask before they do, and they always want to make sure that what they are doing will have positive results. The twosome has a true passion for volunteering and they both have become dear friends of the GLVC staff. They offer invaluable assistance, but, more importantly, they offer a genuine and sincere touch that enhances the championship experience for everyone involved with the events.
The GLVC Service Award is named in honor of Dr. Thomas Kearns, who was Northern Kentucky’s faculty athletic representative for 23 years and provided unparalleled service to the GLVC during that period. Kearns served the GLVC as both treasurer and president during his tenure at NKU and assisted with the budget reporting system and the current revenue sharing policy. He spearheaded the league’s first major expansion, wrote the GLVC Hall of Fame guidelines, served on the initial GLVC Awards Committee and developed and maintained the GLVC Handbook. Kearns spent countless hours developing the GLVC into one of the premier NCAA Division II athletic conferences.
In honor of Dr. Kearns, the Service Award is presented to an individual or group that has contributed to the success of the GLVC as it relates to the NCAA Division II attributes of learning, balance, resourcefulness, sportsmanship, passion and service. It was first presented in 2011 to Northern Kentucky’s Kevin Listerman, and has since been awarded to SIU Edwardsville’s Eric Hess (2012), USI’s David and Lois Stevens (2013) and Kentucky Wesleyan’s Roy Pickerill (2014) over the last four years.