Behind every event, community engagement effort, membership drive and more is a dedicated group of volunteers who generously give their time, talents, and enthusiasm to support KCUR and Classical KC.
Their stories are as unique as the paths that brought them here, and each has played an important role in helping the stations thrive in our community.
Every other month, we'll introduce you to one of these incredible people who make our stations stronger through their service. Through five questions (and occasional bonus ones!), you'll get to know the volunteers behind the scenes, hear their favorite KCUR and Classical KC memories, and discover a few fun surprises along the way.
Our featured volunteer is Claus Wawrzinek.
Claus Wawrzinek was a teenager in Munich, Germany in the 1980s when he became interested in radio. He’d crawl under the covers in bed and listen to American Forces Network (AFN) on his cheap transistor radio and be transported into another world.
Years later, he found himself taking a class with KCUR’s former Director of Programming Ron Jones. Claus then applied for an internship, becoming the on-air announcer during the “graveyard shift” from midnight to 6 a.m.
Today, Claus is playing a vital role in the technical transition of KCUR and Classical KC’s unexpected move out of its long-term home at 4825 Troost earlier this year, and its current move into its new offices and studios. He has volunteered countless hours of his time and expertise to ensure a smooth transition.
I sat down with Claus recently to get to know him a bit better.
1. You’ve been a vital part of KCUR and Classical KC this past year helping in a pivotal moment when we had just weeks to move out of our previous longtime home. How did you get involved?
Well, in the last couple years I've been hearing about the stations wanting to move to a new facility, and I've been kind of thinking about how I could offer my help in some way and learn from that, because I really like radio. And I have a little bit of technical background, and I thought I might be able to help. There's a lot of stuff going on, and I think KCUR specifically is such an important resource for the community. So this was an opportunity that just came along and I thought, "I'm gonna try and see if I can offer my help.”
2. Do you mind giving us a rough idea of how many hours you volunteered… and are still volunteering?
I’d say 20, 30 hours a week and yes, I’m still at it. But you know, it's really important I think, and I've always been volunteering. It's not the first time. I like volunteering. I like helping the community. I like to feel like I've been able to do something. I like helping people.
3. What’s a memory about KCUR or Classical KC that stands out to you?
I happened to be in Berlin listening to the radio. It was American Forces Network, who was broadcasting, and there was a big explosion in Kansas City. They were rebroadcasting different networks, and I heard Kathy Lohr on KCUR reporting about the firefighters having been exposed to the explosion. So it was a KCUR reporter reporting it. It was really amazing.
4. What do you do for fun?
I spend a lot of time with dogs. I have two dogs and also five cats.
5. How would you describe your perfect day?
A perfect day would be waking up, maybe hiking. That would be ideal. Waking up to a sunrise somewhere out there near a misty river. I like rain. I like overcast skies. An overcast day would be perfect, when it's not too sunny or too hot, spring or fall.
Bonus Question:
If you had to pick a kindred spirit among the KCUR and Classical KC personalities, who would you choose?
Oh, that's a tough question. I don't know if I really have an answer for that! I just love KCR in general. I'm a little bit of an addict. I wake up to KCUR, I go to sleep with KCUR. I'm intrigued by a lot of the things that I hear. It's just amazing. Sometimes I wonder, how did that come to be? And the announcers have such great voices, and the music is under it, and it's just, it's like a warm blanket. It just feels great.
Interested in becoming a KCUR or Classical KC volunteer? Let us know!
Questions? Contact us: events@kcur.org or (816) 235-1551.
