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Cardinal Building Community Hoops Program Despite his NBA playing days being over, Brian Cardinal is committed to making a difference on the basketball court. And that is meant in a literal sense. Cardinal is providing the financial and emotional impetus to restore basketball courts around the Lafayette area, with his first project dedicated in late September at Murdock Park in Lafayette. It was a surface that needed significant repairs. "Murdock Park is a great place in Lafayette and important to kids," Cardinal said. "The setting with the mature trees and all makes it a place kids should be comfortable congregating, Purdue and I am glad, along with the folks at Brian Cardinal (far right), with Coach Matt Painter (left), dedicated a new MHS (Managed Health Services) in basketball surface with the Purdue logo at Lafayette's Murdock school in helping make this happen." early fall. More are in the works around the state. The project started last spring and includes new backboards, lights, some seating, resurfacing the court, painting it to look "We want kids to dream of being in Mackey and like the basketball floor in Mackey Arena and bar- making the game-winning shot," Cardinal said. ing the name Purdue Cardinal Community Hoops. "Hopefully, it will motivate kids. It is important for Cardinal will make periodic appearances at the Purdue to be goodwill ambassadors, but the kids court and a maintenance plan will be in place to have to take ownership, too. At Purdue, we owe so assure the court's upkeep. much to the community and we need to remind ev On behalf of the University, Purdue's Licensing eryone as often as we can how grateful we are to Director David Wilson said, "We have put together have kids and families supporting us." a rather unique partnership, utilizing needs withPurdue fans have the opportunity to inspire fuin the community, Brian's desire to 'give back' and ture Boilermakers and contribute to the program our licensing department's connections to begin by merely buying merchandise from the Commuthe process of upgrading playgrounds, starting in nity Hoops/6th Boiler line. For each Community the Lafayette area by restoring a basketball court Hoops/6th Boiler item purchased, the vendor makes that is in a state of disrepair." a donation to the Community Hoops fund. Cardinal said projects like these are part of help—Alan Karpick ing kids live the dream. "I was fortunate the NFL had second career, looking for a passion," said Gorin, who started his programs that helped you considlast 37 games at Purdue at right er life after football. I had internships and executive education tackle from 1998-2000. f programs and an internship at Reebok. As it turns out, those experiences taught me more about what I didn't want to do (in the IllustrateD volume 24, issue 3 47