by Alan Babbitt
Hope College bus drivers Mark Bos, John Gant, Jack Lynn, Jim Marcus and Dan Smith are the recipients of the inaugural Bunko Service Award.
The Bunko Service Award is presented to Hope College faculty or staff members who are connected to Hope Athletics and recognized for their contributions that go above and beyond what is expected.
The award is in honor of Norman "Bunko" Japinga, who passed away in the fall of 2018 and left behind a legacy of service within our athletic program. It is voted on by Hope student-athletes.
Hope's bus drivers were honored during Wednesday's HOPEYs ceremony at DeVos Fieldhouse. They embody the Bunko Service award, women's soccer senior Lindsay Kooy said.
"As a senior on the women's soccer team, I've been on many bus trips over the last four years. Though I'm typically focused on homework, studying or time with my teammates, our bus drivers are focused on getting them to our competitions safely and on time," Kooy said. "They spend long hours on the road and in hotels with us, yet their enthusiasm for Hope Athletics never wavers.
"The support and encouragement we receive from our bus drivers is part of what makes playing for Hope a transformational experience. Our bus drivers don't just get us where we need to go. They model a passionate support that's at the core of Hope Athletics."
Pictured, clockwise from top, Norman "Bunko" Japinga, Dan Smith, Mark Bos, Jack Lynn, John Gant and Jim Marcus
Norman "Bunko" Japinga, who retired from the Hope College staff in 1995 after 27 years that included serving as athletic equipment manager and transportation director, died last fall. He was 88.
Bunko joined the staff in 1968 as Hope's first official equipment manager, with custodial duties in the old Carnegie-Schouten Gymnasium and responsibility for the college's fledgling transportation department (a couple VW buses) added in.
In 1974, he became full-time equipment manager, a position he held until 1988. He was assistant equipment manager and head bus driver from 1988 to 1992, and in 1992 stopped working in the equipment room and became a part-time driver.
He also served in other ways through the years, including by keeping score during athletic contests, and even twice filling in when the coaches of the women's basketball and wrestling teams were ill.
Annie Carrigan, Bunko's granddaughter, is an athletic trainer at Hope.
"He genuinely cared about everybody, no matter who they were, where they came from or what role they played on their team," Carrigan said. "He was kind, selfless and always put the needs of others before his own. He was always there to greet you with a big smile, no matter the day you were having. He loved his family, but he also loved Hope Athletics."
