LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The 68th Annual WHAS Crusade for Children wrapped up this weekend, and the local telethon's grand total of $5.1 million. 100% of the money raised goes to help special needs children in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Since 1954, the Crusade has now raised $200 million to help the kids.
This year's telethon variety show featured virtual performances from magicians Lance Burton and Mac King, singer JD Shelburne and singer Alex Miller from this season's American Idol.
“The WHAS Crusade for Children continues to be a great demonstration of caring and coming together for the greater purpose of helping children with special needs. After an especially tough year with significant losses, we are amazed by the dedication of the firefighters and volunteers. A huge thank you to all who gave, the firefighters who worked tirelessly to collect, and the dedicated volunteers. Every penny really makes a difference, and we are so grateful for the continued generosity of this community,” said WHAS Crusade for Children President & CEO Dawn Lee.
Nearly 60% of donations are collected by about 200 fire departments in Kentucky and southern Indiana. This year was especially tough for some of those departments. Zoneton, Highview and Fern Creek Fire Departments all lost members in 2021. Each of those departments raised money in honor of those lost and the results were tremendous.
Top Kentucky Fire Departments
- Pewee Valley Fire Protection $259,564.57
- Zoneton Fire Protection District $195,438.87
- Fern Creek Fire Protection District $185,261.79
- Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Protection District $151,520.41
- Highview Fire Protection District $91,550.61
Fire departments first became involved with the Crusade in 1956 when Pleasure Ridge Park Chief Ernie Bohler donated $400 and challenged other departments to get involved.
Top Indiana Fire Departments
- Lafayette Township Fire Department $104,383.00
- Monroe Township Volunteer Fire District $64,060.06
- Charlestown Fire Department $63,554.00
- Clarksville Fire Department $37,677.15
- Elizabeth Volunteer Fire Department $33,254.46
But fire departments aren't the only contributors to the Crusade for Children. Businesses and organizations all over Kentucky and Southern Indiana raise funds to help. Here are the top groups this year.
Top Organizations
- LG&E & KU PPL Companies $409,064.00
- Archdiocese of Louisville $235,419.00
- Norton Healthcare $126,208.88
- Jefferson County Public Schools $65,930.00
- Cross Country Distributing $50,000.00
If you would like to help the WHAS Crusade for Children, you can simply go to their website here.
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