The 71st WHAS Crusade for Children concluded on Sunday, June 1, 2024 with a final tote board of $5,700,525.71. Since 1954, the WHAS Crusade for Children has raised more than $216 million. One hundred percent of those donations have been returned to the community in the form of grants to schools, hospitals and agencies that make life better for children with special needs. At the heart of this effort are the thousands of people who come together each year to make the Crusade a success. From individual donors who drop pocket change into boots at firefighter collection sites to children with lemonade stands to corporations that offer payroll deduction, it all comes together during this annual miracle on the first
Tag: firefighters
Another Crusade miracle
The 62nd annual WHAS Crusade for Children brought in $5.6 million for special needs children throughout Kentucky and Indiana. More than half of the funds are raised through firefighter roadblocks, a tradition started in the 1950s. To date, more than $165 million has been raised to buy equipment and to fund programs to assist special needs children. The weekend radio/TV broadcast is hosted by iHeartMedia's WHAS Radio and Gannett's WHAS-11 television, Crusade partners since the fundraiser's launch in 1954. The Crusade for Children thrives on family support. It is an honor to work with my son Max, a director at WHAS-11, on every Crusade. This telethon improves lives and that is a joyous experience best shared with family.