Keepers of the Dream Freedom Award

Dawne Gee

As a native of Louisville, Dawne Gee holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Louisville, in communications and in biology. She has two sons, Eric and Alexander, and a daughter, Brittney. Gee is an Emmy-award winning journalist with a career that spans over three decades in broadcast journalism and radio. She is a tireless advocate for numerous nonprofits in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic you could find her all over the region giving her time and talent at more than 200 speaking engagements every year. 
Gee was honored to represent the Commonwealth in the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2002 Winter Olympics. She was selected as one of 183 torchbearers to run across the Bluegrass State. Each torchbearer was believed not only to embody the Olympic spirit but to be champions of their own communities.  
Gee was an honored recipient of the Lyman T. Johnson Distinguished Leadership Award in 2009, and the Chestnut Street YMCA Black Achievers Program honored her as the Adult Achiever of the Year in 2019. LEO Magazine recognized Gee’s love for the Commonwealth and honored her as a positive force of change by naming her Louisvillian of the Year in 2010. The Center for Women & Families named Gee as a Woman of Distinction celebrating the indelible mark she has left on this community. In 2019, the Louisville Forum recognized Gee for quietly and generously giving to the Louisville community in numerous ways by bestowing the Fleur De Lis Award, noting instances from her professional and personal life that significantly affected those living in Louisville and surrounding areas in substantial and positive ways.  
In 2015, Gee took her dedication to those in need to a new level by founding the nonprofit, A Recipe to End Hunger & Need. The charity’s focus in its infancy has been on supporting other nonprofits in the city who work tirelessly to end food insecurity. Nonprofits such as Dare to Care, Blessings in a Backpack and Feed Louisville have the knowledge, staff and desire to end hunger in our community however they often lack the funding they need to do the job. A Recipe to End Hunger & Need works perpetually year-round to raise the funds needed by those nonprofits. A Recipe to End Hunger & Need has no overhead and no paid staff. Gee calls on friends and family to step in and volunteer which allows 100% of all proceeds to go to those nonprofits who serve the hungry. Gee called on local friends in the media as well as celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Darrell Griffith, Loni and Muhammad Ali and the news crew of NBC to share their favorite recipes for the cookbook, “A Recipe to End Hunger”. The 164-page color publication also features fifty-five different restaurants and businesses in Louisville and Southern Indiana. It became a best seller on Amazon. A Recipe to End Hunger & Need has raised close to half a million dollars since its inception.  
Gee enjoys celebrating our community on WAVE Country, an hour-long television talk show on WAVE, while also at times facilitating difficult conversations that heal or move the city forward. She also understands and enjoys the importance of keeping viewers informed with local and national news daily.