61st annual WHAS Crusade for Children tops $5.6 million
For immediate release: June 8, 2014
(Louisville, KY) On the weekend when
California Chrome was the favorite to win horse racing’s first Triple Crown in
36 years, the people of Kentucky and Indiana put their money on a sure bet, the
61st annual WHAS Crusade for Children. The final tote board tallied
$5,637,680 as America’s most successful local telethon came to a close.
The
30-hour Internet/radio/telethon kicked off with a stirring variety show
headlined by country singer J D Shelburne and hosted by WHAS11’s Melissa Swan
and 84WHAS radio’s Terry Meiners Saturday June 7. It all ended with
Crusade volunteers crowding into WHAS-TV’s historic studio H singing the
traditional "God Bless America" just before 7:00pm (EDT) Sunday June
8, 2014.
"We're
thrilled that the wonderful people of Kentuckiana stepped up once again to help
children with special needs in our community by contributing so generously to
the 61st annual WHAS Crusade for children! It's an annual miracle,"
said WHAS Crusade for Children President & CEO Dawn Lee.
100
percent of $160 million = $160 million
In
its first 61 years, the Crusade has raised $160 million for children with
special needs. 100 percent of all donations raised Crusade weekend are
returned in the form of grants to agencies, schools and hospitals that make
life better for children with special needs.
It
takes a cast of thousands to stage the annual miracle. From individual
donors dropping pocket change into boots at firefighter road blocks to children
with lemonade stands to corporations offering payroll deduction, it all comes
together each year on the first weekend in June.
The
leaders
Nearly
60 percent of donations are collected by about 200 fire departments in Kentucky
and Indiana.
Like
last year, the fire department leading the way was Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP)
Fire District with $286,435. PRP was the one that started fire department
involvement with the Crusade in1956 when Chief Ernie Bohler brought $400 on the
Memorial Auditorium stage in Louisville and challenged all fire departments to
get involved.
Also
repeating from last year, the Archdiocese of Louisville led all non-fire
organizations with a total of $297,000 in contributions. That’s a Crusade
record for the Archdiocese.
Top
Five Kentucky Fire Departments
Pleasure
Ridge Park Fire District $286,435
Fern
Creek Fire Department $142,725
McMahan
Fire Protection District $120,677
Highview
Fire District $107,329
Zoneton
Fire Protection District $78,917
Top
Five Indiana Fire Departments
Lafayette
Township Fire Department $93,052
Charlestown
Fire Department $52,481
Clarksville
Fire Department $41,163
Jeffersonville
Fire Department $38,255
Sellersburg
Fire Department $35,000
Top
Five Organizations
Archdiocese
of Louisville $297,000
Kosair
Charities $250,000
LG&E
KU PPL Companies $191,072
Louisville
Triple Crown of Running $142,639
Norton
Healthcare $138,722
So
many to thank
The
annual Crusade Internet/radio/telethon kicked off at 1:00pm (EDT) on Saturday,
June 7 and aired in its entirety on WHAS Radio (AM 840), WHAS-TV (Channel 11.1)
and worldwide on WHAS11.com.
In
addition, ION21 WBNA-TV in Louisville aired live broadcasts 12:30pm to 6:30pm
Sunday, June 8 from the Kentucky cities of Elizabethtown, Shelbyville and
Bardstown. WBKO-TV in Bowling Green aired remote telecasts from Campbellsville
and Rough River State Resort Park on both Saturday and Sunday.
As
the Crusade for Children's flagship television station for 61 years, WHAS11
carried the entire broadcast. Portions also aired on a Kentucky statewide
network.
Television
Network
WHAS-TV,
Louisville (flagship station)
WBNA-TV,
Louisville
WBKO-TV,
Bowling Green
The
Crusade for Children's flagship radio station for 61 years, 84WHAS carried the
broadcast continuously. In addition, the Commonwealth Broadcasting radio
stations listed below aired the Crusade variety show Saturday, June 7 from 8:00
to 10:00pm (EDT):
Radio
Network
WHAS,
Louisville (flagship station)
WTCO,
Campbellsville
WLBN,
Lebanon
WBRT,
Bardstown
WIEL,
Elizabethtown
WHHT,
Bowling Green
WTTL,
Madisonville
WPKY,
Princeton
WHAS11.com
provided LIVE video streaming of the entire broadcast visible anywhere in the
world. WHASCrusade.org posted up-to-date information throughout the
weekend.
Internet
Network
WHAS11.com
WHASCrusade.org
To
honor a pledge
Tax-deductible
contributions can still be sent anytime:
WHAS
Crusade for Children
520
W. Chestnut St.
Louisville,
KY 40202
Donations
can also be made securely online on www.WHASCrusade.org.
To
view a complete list of all groups that made donations to the 61st annual
Crusade, go to www.WHASCrusade.org.
About
the WHAS Crusade for Children
The
WHAS Crusade for Children, established by WHAS-TV in 1954, raises money for
schools, agencies and hospitals that make life better for children with special
needs. In its first 61 years, the Crusade has raised $160 million.
Thanks to generous contributions of goods and services, the Crusade returns
100% of all donations to organizations in all 120 Kentucky counties and more
than 50 southern Indiana counties. Fire
departments raise nearly 60 percent of the money each year by staging road
blocks and other events.
Millions
of children have been helped by the Crusade since 1954. The WHAS Crusade
for Children, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts are
tax-deductible as permitted by law.
