Louisville Magazine

JUL 2017

Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.

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LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 7.17 59 DAWNE GEE BEST TV ANCHOR (FEMALE) RC TV ANCHOR (FEMALE) 1. Dawne Gee 2. Candyce Clifft 3. Shannon Cogan TV SPORTSCASTER 1. Kent Taylor 2. Fred Cowgill 3. Eric Crawford TV WEATHERCASTER 1. Kevin Harned 2. Marc Weinberg 3. Jude Redfield TV MORNING HOST 1. Candyce Clifft 2. Lauren Jones 3. Terry Meiners PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1. Holy Trinity 2. (Tie) Louisville Collegiate 2. (Tie) Kentucky Country Day PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1. Lincoln Performing Arts School 2. Dunn 3. Norton MUSEUM 1. Speed Art Museum 2. Frazier History Museum 3. Kentucky Science Center FUNERAL HOME 1. Ratterman Family Funeral Homes 2. Pearson 3. Highlands Funeral Home READERS' CHOICE Television personalities have "it" or they don't. Makeup and hairspray and diffused lighting consistently produce fine-looking folks. But there's a certain quality that turns a few TV personali- ties into people, genuine and relatable. Strangers, yes, but strangers who feel like old friends. Dawne Gee has as much "it" as can fit in one human and then some. (Funny, then, that back in 1994, when she first started working at WAVE-3 in the promotions department, she was told she wasn't cut out for television.) Watch her. While many anchors strain to emote the day's news, whatever Gee feels — sadness, joy, hope — surfaces unfiltered and rich. Maybe that's why peo- ple love her, giving her hugs at the gym, on the street, in the studio, at the store. "It happens all the time," Gee says, smiling. "I love hugs." Being popular keeps the 54-year-old incredibly busy. These pictures capture a recent Dawne Gee Wednesday, what she says was an unusually slow day. Our photographer, Mickie Winters, catches up with her at noon, just as Gee goes on-air for her midday show. (Gee also anchors evening newscasts at 5:30, 7 and 7:30.) She spends much of her early afternoon responding to emails, several from indi- viduals wanting to take part in "Pass the Cash," her reoccurring segment that helps people in a financial struggle. At 2:05, a woman approaches Gee in the WAVE-3 parking lot seeking help. She needs a wheelchair-accessible van. Gee, person- able and patient, listens and refers her to an agency that should be able to assist. After a few errands, she devotes time to her nonprofit, A Recipe to End Hunger. Through a cookbook, food drives, events and TV news stories, Gee raises money for Dare to Care. A little boy she met at a din- ner for low-income families inspired her. "He said, 'I know how to keep my stomach from hurting. If my stomach hurts, I eat paper,'" Gee recalls, tears welling in her brown eyes. "I went out to the parking lot and cried my eyes out. I called my mom. My mom kept saying, 'You can't save the world.' And I wasn't looking to save the world. But I sure was wanting this little baby to be OK." That's Gee. Giving, worrying, giving again. To the Metro United Way and wounded veterans and sick children and so many more. She eats a sandwich at her desk at 3:42, take-out from North End Cafe. A pile of 18 appearance requests begs for attention. In addition to a day cal- endar, she keeps a red binder on her desk with color-coded tabs for each month so she can keep track of all her paid and vol- unteer obligations. "My biggest fear is that I won't show up somewhere," she says. Lately, Gee's had to scale back. Last fall, she suffered a paralyzing stroke on-air. Ongoing physical therapy is helping her heal, but she still walks with a slight limp, and her body wears out easily. She stands to read the news but sits during commer- cial breaks. (Gee has also survived kidney cancer and had a brain tumor removed.) Her upcoming summer vacation will mark her first with zero commitments. Well, OK, just one appearance at the I Am Ali Festi- val. But usually Gee leaves town for a day or two and stocks the rest of her time off with 20-plus appearances. "I had to take my (scheduling) book to physical therapy and show my therapist I only have one event," she says, laughing. "That's a big deal for me." At the end of the day, Gee accompanies her co-worker, Maira Ansari, to an iftar, a meal shared by Muslims after sunset during Ramadan. She cuts out a bit early, in need of rest. Life is more of a push-pull lately than she likes. "I don't do it well. My mother will call me at 9:30 at night and say, 'Where are you?'" Gee says, eyes wide, like a kid with a hand in the cookie jar. "She'll say, 'I can hear it. You're at work. You're not supposed to be at work.' I'm like, 'Come on, Mom.'" — AM

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