TACOMA, Wash. — "What do I do?" asked comedian Jo Koy when he walked into the ceremony, backstage at the Tacoma Dome, hours before 20,000 fans filled the seats to see him perform. "Do I present it to myself?"
That's when Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards introduced herself. She was the one presenting the Foss High School graduate with a key to the city and a proclamation declaring Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 "Jo Koy Day."
"Today we prove what it means to be the City of Destiny, where anyone who chooses to call Tacoma home can live out their destiny," Woodards said.
"I love Tacoma," Koy said. "It's what molded me. It's what made me who I am."
Koy looked around and remembered buying tickets to see Michael Jackson perform at the Dome in 1988.
"I bought my tickets at the Bon Marche. That's where you went when you couldn't afford Nordstrom," Koy joked.
Jackson canceled all three of his Tacoma shows a day before the first one, claiming he had the flu.
"We had it all planned out," Koy said. "We were going to leave school early. And I just cried. I cried all day. And I'm going to go ahead and brag, and rest in peace Michael, but I think I sold more tickets than you man."
Koy noted that he had family at the ceremony and that's when he got emotional talking about his nearly 30 year comedy career. In 2017, Koy spent his own money on a comedy special that Netflix bought, launching Koy into a new gear that recently involved "Easter Sunday," a movie released earlier this year.
"If you're not dreaming you're not living, right?," he said, his eyes wet with tears. "So dream big. No matter what you're situation is. No matter what environment you're in. Just think about all the blessings you have and think about what inspires you to be you."
It was while Koy was having photographs taken with his family and friends that he spotted a sweatshirt our own Saint Bryan was wearing. Made by Simply Seattle, it features the Sonics mascot Squatch. And Koy really wanted it. He even said "please."
So Koy and Bryan swapped sweatshirts. Bryan now has an official Jo Koy sweatshirt with the words "Mahal Kita" printed on the front. That's Tagalog for "I Love You."
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.