KIRO host John Curley receiving 2024 Humanitarian of the Year Award
May 9, 2024, 1:22 PM
John Curley, co-host of The John and Jake Show on KIRO 97.3 FM (Photo courtesy of John Curley Auction)
(Photo courtesy of John Curley Auction)
John Curley, co-host of “The John and Jake Show” on KIRO Newsradio, was named the 2024 recipient of the Sharon L. Harrison Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service.
The community service award was awarded by The TALKERS, a publication coined as “the bible of talk radio and the new talk media.” The outlet is one of the leading trade publications serving the national talk media industry.
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“John Curley is a true on- and off-air original … iconoclastic, candid and smart. His charity work as a radio personality over the years has been creative, entertaining, and effective,” The TALKERS stated. “However, it is his remarkable skill and productivity as an auctioneer for non-profits around America that is absolutely stunning.
“When John gets on that stage, he raises auctioneering to a heart-pounding art form and drags every ounce of generosity out of his spellbound audiences,” The TALKERS continued. “His patter is song and his moves are dance.”
In addition to his radio work, Curley — originally a theater major at Carnegie Mellon — has been one of the most successful charity auctioneers nationwide, consistently shattering previous auctioneers’ gross sales.
In his free time between hosting a radio show and being a charity auctioneer, Curley is a hospice care volunteer in his free time. He also adopted two rescue pups who currently live with him in his tiny log cabin in Cle Elum.
“During his career as a KIRO radio host, Curley has spearheaded a number of extremely creative and high-profile charitable promotions in addition to operating an independent business as a fund-raising auctioneer for charitable causes and organizations across the nation,” The TALKERS said. “He raises an average of $80 million per year with this endeavor.”
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Earlier this week, Curley’s co-host, Shari Elliker, exited the show, with former KIRO Nights host Jake Skorheim replacing her.
Curley will be presented the honor at the forthcoming “TALKERS 2024: Radio and Beyond” Conference Friday, June 7.
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.
