I had forgotten Whil's award came from Microsoft. Maybe others did more in terms of contributions to the product or add-ons. To me he has always epitomized the spirit of the FoxPro community, the ultimate tireless participant. That doesn't just refer to FoxPro but to other things Whil has plunged headlong into, like distance running and involvement in his (many! <g>) children's activities.

This may tell you something about Whil's character. When we first met he was just another guy who showed up at meetings of Chicago FUDG, which along with FoxPro was in its Prague spring. After three or four meetings I recognized him as one of the regulars who always seemed to have something intelligent but not pushy to say. A true Wisconsinite. We got talking after one meeting and one thing led to another. He helped me get some articles published, then invited me to speak at the first two WhilFests. (I let him down).

He also helped me complete a couple of marathons. He was in demand as a coach, having run marathons in the 2:30s himself, and never charged me a penny. He steered me to some good approaches and away from some bad ones. I finished in the middle of the pack four times and credit a lot of it to Whil. My body is not the classic marathoner's body. He has a gift for making you believe and making you excited. That to me is his gift -- the ability to energize others.


>Very well said.
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>One clarfication for others. The award was originally created in 2001 by Microsoft. The community has carried on the award since then.
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>>I stopped reading the chatter section, will I have to stop reading the conference section? Have people lost their minds? Has the world gone crazy?
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>>Some people, who seem to include Doug and Rick, decided that it would be nice to give these lifetime achievement awards. There is no government involved, and nobody else is required to pay for it.
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>>Instead of saying thank you, it seems some people are complaining about the "process." Unbelievable.
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>>The only possible response to the award is announcement is congratulations to the winners, and thank you to the organizers. Anything else should be kept in your mind where it belongs and not put on a public forum so others can gossip and contribute their own gripes.Feel free to reply that the Internet is for saying whatever you want, but I was taught that you can always say what you want -- but a person with integrity says something good or nothing at all -- especially in public.
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>>Congratulations to the recipients and thank you to the organizers.