Hopkinsville Rotarian Jeff Sisk was still in high school when he started working part-time for WHOP in 1982. The radio station needed an extra hand to broadcast ballgames live, and Sisk was available to help on nights and weekends.
While a crew covered the games at area high schools, Sisk was back at the station on Buttermilk Road playing the commercials and making sure everything ran properly.
That part-time job soon became full-time work and then a career. Now Sisk is WHOP’s station manager.
His longevity at the radio station is noteworthy among Rotarians because WHOP has broadcast every Rotary Auction going back to the first one in 1951.
Much to Sisk’s surprise, his fellow Rotarians took time out of Tuesday’s auction broadcast to recognize WHOP for its continuous support of the auction. And they singled out Sisk, a 58-year-old Hopkinsville native, by awarding him a Paul Harris Fellowship. It is named for the founder of Rotary International. The award recognizes worthy citizens and contributes $1,000 in their honor to the foundation of Rotary International.
“It was a huge surprise,” Sisk said.
The club was able to keep the special recognition under wraps until the last minute — no small thing since Rotarians rely on Sisk to get the radio broadcast up and running most evenings.
Along with his technical support, Sisk frequently works one of the auctioneer slots. He’s sold everything from country hams and coconut cakes to countless gift cards and advertising time on competing radio stations.
“When I first got into the Rotary Club, I was going to stay behind the scenes,” Sisk told Hoptown Chronicle.
But when another Rotarian couldn’t make it one evening to work his shift as an auctioneer, Sisk was the natural choice to fill in.
The technology that WHOP uses to broadcast the weeklong auction has seen numerous changes in the last seven decades. In the early years, a phone line connected the auctioneers at the Memorial Building to the station across town. Now everything is automated and runs on the internet.
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Through two ownerships — first the Lackey family and now Forcht Broadcasting — the station has never wavered in its commitment to broadcast the auction live, said Sisk. There are no commercials during the 20 or so hours that the Rotary Auction is on WHOP every year.
“We don’t ask for a dime,” said Sisk.
While the internet now makes it possible to livestream video of the auction, many Rotary supporters still prefer to listen to it on the radio. It’s their tradition. And some patrons have a hybrid approach — they watch the livestream with the audio on mute and listen to the radio. That way, they say, they don’t miss out on a crucial bid when there’s a time lag with the video.
As Sisk says, “The radio is still the backbone.”
Auction Tally
The following totals reflect the money raised through the main auction, Rotary Diner and Sweet Shop, and the Hour Club. Through the first three nights, the auction total was down $11,260.74 from the same point last year, when the organization set an all-time fundraising record.
| Monday | $124,159.50 |
| Tuesday | $60,120.50 |
| Wednesday | $78,226.00 |
| Grand Total | $262,506.00 |
Rotary Foundation Grants
In 2021, the auction’s fundraising power spurred the creation of the Hopkinsville Rotary Foundation, which makes grants to programs that benefit the community. This week’s distributions have included:
Monday
- $5,000 for educational programs at Jeffers Bend
- $3,500 for special needs swimming lessons and equipment at Hopkinsville YMCA
- $100,000 for an inclusive playground on Pardue Lane
Tuesday
- $5,000 for the Christian County Literacy Council to assist with publishing a book for local children that will be dedicated in memory of Carolyn “Mrs. Pickle” Haddock — a long-time supporter of the Rotary Auction
- $15,000 to the Pennyroyal Arts Council for youth camps and arts programming
Wednesday
- $8,000 to establish EarlyAct clubs at Crofton, South Christian, Indian Hills and Pembroke elementary schools
- $12,000 to Gateway Academy to renew its support of the “Industry All Stars” programming
If You Go
When: 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6-10 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. until the last item is sold Saturday
Where: Memorial Building, 1202 S. Virginia St.
Watch and Listen: On WHOP Radio 98.7 FM or on Hopkinsville Rotary’s website
Bid: Call 270-885-7500
Eat: At the Rotary Diner for lunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and dinner 5 to 8 every night
Donate: On the club’s Hour and Goat Club site
Don’t miss: Smoked chicken dinner special on Thursday
This story was updated to reflect final auction totals.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
