Clubhouse

Anchor’s away at club celebration

“It’s not what you know, an adage asserts, “it’s who you know.” For proof, consider the Kiwanis Club of Arlington, Virginia. When the club celebrated its 75th anniversary recently, its keynote speaker was former Today Show host and current CBS News anchor Katie Couric. And how did the club land the journalism heavyweight? Her father, John Couric, is a member of the club.

CBS News anchor Katie Couric is flanked (on the left) by Mary Anthony, past president of the Arlington, Virginia, Kiwanis club and Yvonne Holley, immediate past governor of the Capital District, during the club’s celebration of its 75th anniversary.

“Obviously, we don’t get to pick our parents,” Katie Couric told the gathering of more than 350 Kiwanians and guests from throughout the Capital District, “but I definitely hit the jackpot. They loved us, and continue to love us, consistently.” She also noted her parents keep her grounded and added, with a laugh, “My mother has a running commentary on my hair and my clothes.”

Among those in attendance was Couric’s older brother, John Jr., and she couldn’t help but tease him. While pulling the winning entries in a Kiwanis raffle, Couric looked at one ticket and exclaimed, “It’s Johnny Couric!” then laughed and said she was just kidding.

“You can imagine what an obnoxious sister I was, she said.

The veteran newswoman also spoke of her sister, Emily Couric, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000 and died a year later at age 54. Couric, who has been a crusader and fundraiser for cancer research and awareness since the death of her husband, Jay Monahan, of colon cancer at age 42 in 1998, told the crowd she believes her work in this area has become the most important in her life. She urged those gathered to get screened for colon cancer and watch for warning signs.

“If you want to thank me (for coming),” she said, “take care of your health.”