The list of organizations Jim Calaway supported is long. He donated large sums of money to area hospitals, colleges, arts organizations, and more. Disclosure: Calaway also donated to KDNK Radio. Calaway, who described himself as an "eccentric entrepreneur" with a desire to give to causes in which be believed, died in Carbondale last week at the age of 87.
In April of 2017, Jim Calaway invited Steve Skinner, host of the podcast Echoes, to his modest Carbondale home for a wide-ranging interview. Calaway recalled his impoverished childhood, how he found a home in the Unitarian church, and how that led him to see giving back to others as his highest calling.