Dee Jaroway

deefeedmysoul

The name on her birth certificate says Diane Jaroway, but everyone in Thunder Bay, Ontario knows her as Dee.

Never one to sit still for long, the energetic deejay has been waking up Thunder Bay for the past five years, co-hosting the wildly popular Mark and Dee Morning Show on Rock 94.

But beyond the Nickelback and Led Zeppelin intros, the entertainment updates and the endless on-location remotes is a woman who cares about her community.

Whether it’s emceeing charity events and helping them raise thousands of dollars, or her own initiatives, like the fundraising calendars she’s helped put together the past two years in support of Habitat For Humanity and Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Dee’s got a soft spot for those in need.

"I’m constantly trying to help build awareness for great causes throughout our community," she says. "Or I’m helping local charities raise money. I just love helping people anyway I can."

That’s exactly what led to Dee’s Feed My Soul Tour.

"The idea just clicked," she says, recalling the moment she saw the international contest in celebration of Kia’s 10 Millionth Export. The contest called on contestants to share their ideas of what they would do if they won a Kia.

"I’m a spiritual person, so the idea of nurturing your soul is part of my philosophy. When I saw the contest, the Feed Your Soul concept just leapt out at me. I thought it would be a great way to help give back to communities across the country."

"Our food banks in Thunder Bay are in desperate need of donations, and I know food banks in other communities across Canada are faced with the same issues. It was a natural fit."

The two-week trip, which will take her from Thunder Bay to St. John’s, N.L., suits her never-sit-still personality.

"It’s going to be go-go-go the entire time," she says.

That kind of mirrors her life to date, Dee adds.

An entrepreneur and consultant who helps local companies with their marketing and social media strategies, she’s in the early stages of starting her own public relations, communications and social networking consulting agency.

"It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do," she says.

In her spare time – it does happen occasionally, honestly – Dee is no stranger to the burgeoning karaoke world, belting out tunes from one end of the city to the other, while encouraging her less talented friends to throw caution to the wind and join her on stage.

"C’mon, everyone can sing Collin!" Thunder Bay’s unofficial karaoke queen jokes.

Fluent in Polish and Ukrainian, she’s a big supporter of the local music scene, has been known to play in a band or two from time to time, and if that’s not enough, she fancies herself a bit of a gourmet cook.

Oh, and keeping with the theme of the Feed My Soul Tour, the outdoor lover is also an ice racer extraordinaire – just don’t remind her about flipping her car, which was aptly named Dee-Mented.

"I feel the need for speed, but only on the race track," she says, promising to obey all traffic laws as she makes her way east.