For over 40 years, Bruce Lindner has been a helping force in the Porter County community.
The Portage native is the executive director at Porter County Aging and Community Services, a position that allows Lindner to help the elderly in the Valparaiso community and around the county, coordinating nutrition, transportation and housing for those in need.
"Let's face it, there are some people who struggle just to get enough food," Lindner said. "There are people who need something for whatever reason. They need to get some help somehow and it's my job to see that it happens.
"Life isn't about what I can take from it; it's about what I can give to it. I enjoy helping people. I enjoy reaching out. Porter County is a great county and there are a lot of people who are willing to reach out and help," Lindner said
Lindner started his career teaching and coach in Portage for six years. After a brief stint in the construction industry, he spent 17 years as the director of the Portage YMCA and then served in the same capacity at the Hammond YMCA for four years before taking his current position.
After four decades of helping people, it's almost hard to believe Lindner is one of the greatest high school and collegiate scorers Northwest Indiana has ever seen – one might assume he held records for assists instead.
In reality, though, Lindner's 25.6 points per game average are still a school record at Portage High School and the 725 points he scored during the 1969-70 campaign are still Valparaiso University's single-season record.
"My senior year, [the late former Valparaiso coach Gene Bartow] basically just turned me loose and told me to score as much as I could," Lindner said. "We were primarily a .500 team the whole time I was there. We played some good schools: Kansas, Houston, Niagara, Marquette every year, Notre Dame, Indiana State [and] Drake. There were a lot of good trips, a lot of good memories."
By the time Lindner graduated, he held single-season school records for points, points per game (27.8), field goals made (274) and free throws made (177). His 51-point effort against DePauw is still the single-game school record and his 19.5 career points per game average is still the best in school history.
"It's nice to score points, but it would've been fun to win a lot more games," Lindner said. "But it is what it is.
"We didn't have a lot of other scoring talent; Bartow told me to shoot it, so I did," he added with a laugh.
Lindner's accomplishments will be acknowledged on Wednesday night, January 29, 2014 – along with those of Valparaiso native Bryce Drew – when the university retires the No. 24 jersey. It is the first jersey retirement in school history.
"It's an honor," Lindner said. "Bryce Drew is a quality kid, a quality man, and I think I admire him as much for what he did on the basketball court and for the way he lives his life off of it. To be included with him is quite an honor.
"We've had a number of people who have had nice careers here, and to be a part of the first jersey retirement is something special. I feel good about it."
After his Valparaiso career, Lindner had two chances to try out for professional teams but the competition was stiff; the first chance was with the ABA's New York Nets, who had recently acquired Julius "Dr. J" Erving, and then with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, who had just signed "Pistol" Pete Maravich. After those opportunities fell through, Lindner decided to return to Porter County and begin a career of helping. He's been here ever since.
"I've never left the county. I've been here all my life. I like what I'm doing, helping people and being an active member of the community," Lindner said. "This is where my life has taken me. Five kids, 12 grandkids; and they're all doing well. My wife (Marilyn) and I have been [Valparaiso men's basketball] season ticket holders for almost 20 years. I've been very lucky and very blessed."