With the 67th annual WHAS Crusade for Children Weekend rescheduled to August 8th & 9th, there are many NEW (CONTACTLESS) ways to donate, collect and raise funds – all while maintaining social distancing.
Donate Securely Online
Give online safely and securely. There is a section where someone can honor/memorialize a loved one or credit a fire department.
Text to Donate
Supporters can now text CRUSADE to 50155 to complete a donation. There is the ability to honor a fire department on the donation link.
Venmo
Venmo a donation to @CrusadeForChildren. You can credit your fire department in the comments section.
Cash App
Just like Venmo, use Cash App and make a secure donation to $CrusadeChildren. You can credit your fire dept. in the notes section.
Paypal
If you use PayPal, you can use it to donate to the WHAS Crusade for Children!
Alexa
If you have an Amazon smart device, just say, “Alexa, donate to the Crusade for Children…” and Alexa will walk you through your secure donation, charging it to your card on file with Amazon.
Donate via Facebook
Go to the Crusade’s Facebook page to donate securely online. Facebook does not keep any fees for a charitable donation!
Create a Facebook Fundraiser
Many individuals, fire departments and organizations have set one of these up and they are very successful.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Click the 3 dots on your “Create A Post” section
2. Scroll down to “Support Nonprofit”
3. Select WHAS Crusade for Children and finalize your fundraiser
We are happy to guide you through this if you need assistance. Call the Crusade office at 502-582-7706.
Donate by Mail
Even though our office is closed for now during the pandemic, we are able to access our mail.
Send your donation to:
WHAS Crusade for Children
520 W. Chestnut St.
Louisville, KY 40202.
Please be sure to make note if the donation is in honor or memory of someone or if you’d like to give credit to a certain fire department.
Fire Department Toolkit
Look up!
At the top of our home page, there’s a link to the FIRE DEPT. TOOLKIT — NEW this year! There are many downloadable items to make fundraising easier.
Nearly 200 fire departments collect for the WHAS Crusade for Children — bringing in more than half of the Crusade’s annual donations.
Heroes in so many ways, firefighters are the heart and soul of the Crusade.
Tuesday, May 5 is “Giving Tuesday NOW.” And you can make a difference in a child’s life. Support the WHAS Crusade for Children.
To make a secure online donation, click here or call (502) 582-7706.
With the 67th annual WHAS Crusade for Children Weekend postponed to August 8th & 9th, there are many NEW IDEAS to donate, collect and raise funds all while maintaining social distancing.
Facebook Fundraiser
Many fire departments and organizations have set one of these up and they are very successful.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Click the 3 dots on your “Create A Post” section
2. Scroll down to “Support Nonprofit”
3. Select WHAS Crusade for Children and finalize your fundraiser
We are happy to guide you through this if you need assistance. Call the Crusade office at 502-582-7706.
Text to Donate
Supporters can now text CRUSADE to 50155 to complete a donation.
There is the ability to honor a fire department on the donation link.
Venmo
Venmo a donation to @CrusadeForChildren and list the fire deparment in the comments section. We have yard signs that we can drop off at fire stations to promote Venmo.
Donate Securely Online
Give online safely and securely. There is a section where someone can honor a loved one or a fire department.
To make a secure online donation, CLICK HERE or call (502) 582-7706.
Donate by Mail
Even though our office is closed for now during the pandemic, we are able to access our mail.
Send your donation to:
WHAS Crusade for Children
520 W. Chestnut St.
Louisville, KY 40202.
Please be sure to make note if the donation is in honor or memory of someone or if you’d like to give credit to a certain fire department.
Ken Middleton, General Manager of WHAS11 from 1997 to 2000, passed away on April 21, 2020. As GM, he also served as Chair of the WHAS Crusade for Children Board of Directors. May he rest in peace.
More on his life and accomplishments are noted in his obituary as published in the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Kenneth Norwood Middleton
Louisville – On April 21, 2020, Kenneth Norwood Middleton suddenly died at his home in Louisville, Kentucky. Born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia, he was preceded in death by his parents, Norwood Cronk Middleton (2/1/2004) and Lucille Hood Middleton (9/11/2008). Ken is survived by his wife, Sarah Lewis Middleton, two stepchildren, Brian Wesley Lewis and Margaret Elizabeth Lewis, and his brother, David Lynn Middleton (Deborah Simmons Middleton).
In Ken’s youth, he was an Eagle Scout with two Palms and started a newspaper at his high school. He graduated with his B.A. from University of Virginia. He earned an M.A. in Communications from American University, where he was awarded a full fellowship. He was awarded Teacher of the Year at Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, VA. As part of the Rotary Club of Louisville, he was awarded Rotarian of the Year 2013-2014 and Service Above Self in 2013. Ken was a proud veteran of the Vietnam War.
Ken’s career was filled with meaningful and exciting work. He used his keen intellect, gracious people skills, and managerial excellence to help others succeed. He was a reporter in Virginia, an assistant news director in Charlotte, NC; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC. Then was a news director in Tampa, FL, and again in Charlotte, NC. He became the President and General Manager of WHAS-TV in Louisville from 1997-2000 after serving in the same role at KMSB-TV in Tucson, AZ, from 1993-1997. He also served as Vice President, Operations, and Support Services for the National Center for Family Literacy in Louisville from 2001-2006. Ken finished his career as President of Middleton Consulting, helping businesses and nonprofits tell their story to their customers and donors.
Ken loved community involvement and did so through serving as an elder and teacher at his church, Second Presbyterian Church, and through several significant roles for Rotary Club of Louisville, including the Board of Directors, 2013-2015. He served his community through several different organizations Encore Louisville, Volunteers of American Mid-States, Kentucky Derby Festival, and Metro United Way. Ken loved to travel and go on trips with his family. Some of his explorations included China, Kenya, the Caribbean, Thailand, Australia, Canada, and much of Europe and the United States. Ken cared deeply and genuinely about others and modeled thoughtful, gracious servanthood to his family, friends, those he worked with, and his community. He will be greatly missed.
Memorial and funeral services are pending and will be announced at a later date.
Published in The Courier-Journal from Apr. 24 to Apr. 26, 2020
With the 67th annual WHAS Crusade for Children Weekend postponed to August 8th & 9th, there are many NEW IDEAS to donate, collect and raise funds all while maintaining social distancing.
Facebook Fundraiser
Many fire departments and organizations have set one of these up and they are very successful.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Click the 3 dots on your “Create A Post” section
2. Scroll down to “Support Nonprofit”
3. Select WHAS Crusade for Children and finalize your fundraiser
We are happy to guide you through this if you need assistance. Call the Crusade office at 502-582-7706.
Text to Donate
Supporters can now text CRUSADE to 50155 to complete a donation.
There is the ability to honor a fire department on the donation link.
Venmo
Venmo a donation to @CrusadeForChildren and list the fire deparment in the comments section. We have yard signs that we can drop off at fire stations to promote Venmo.
Donate Securely Online
Give online safely and securely. There is a section where someone can honor a loved one or a fire department.
To make a secure online donation, CLICK HERE or call (502) 582-7706.
Donate by Mail
Even though our office is closed for now during the pandemic, we are able to access our mail.
Send your donation to:
WHAS Crusade for Children
520 W. Chestnut St.
Louisville, KY 40202.
Please be sure to make note if the donation is in honor or memory of someone or if you’d like to give credit to a certain fire department.
New feature makes it easier than ever to help the Crusade!
There’s a new and exciting way to donate to the WHAS Crusade for Children: TEXT TO DONATE!
It’s safe and secure. All you need is your cell phone.
Here’s all you do:
1) Text crusade to 50155 (It’s not case sensitive – you can type crusade or CRUSADE.)
2) You’ll get a text in reply.
3) Complete the donation form on your phone.
4) You’ll then receive a confirming text.
5) You also receive an email.
Thanks for your continued support of the WHAS Crusade for Children.
And of course, you can always make a donation securely online, just click here.
Help the Crusade!
Every time you shop on Amazon, if you go to www.smile.amazon.com and select the WHAS Crusade for Children as your charity of choice, Amazon will make a donation to the Crusade. It’s simple. And it costs you NOTHING!
We all need supplies and we all want to help children with special needs — now you can do both!
THANKS for your continued support of the WHAS Crusade for Children. (Just click on the graphic below.)
Shop AmazonSmile for the WHAS Crusade for Children
Sign up TODAY
Plan ahead for Mother’s Day, Derby, “just because” by shopping the Kendra Scott virtual event, benefiting the Crusade Engagement Council and the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Two Day Event
Friday, April 10
Saturday, April 11
Use code: GIVEBACK6796 at checkout. Begin your shopping journey! Click here.
Learn more about the Crusade Engagement Council, click here.
The 67th WHAS Crusade for Children will be rescheduled from June 6-7, 2020 to August 8-9, 2020. Communities throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana are a key part of the success of the WHAS Crusade for Children. Crusade supporters come together each year to help make life better for children with special needs who are among some of the most medically fragile citizens we have in our communities. Due to the impact of social distancing, the decision was made to postpone the annual radio/telethon.
“The community is such an important part of the WHAS Crusade for Children. With this in mind, we made the decision to reschedule Crusade 67 for August 8 and 9. In these unprecedented times, we remain committed to the health and safety of the children we serve. It is our hope that rescheduling the telethon will provide additional time for our dedicated firefighters and community partners, who are crucial to our success,” said Dawn Lee, President & CEO of the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Firefighters lead the way
Fire departments across Kentucky and southern Indiana raise nearly 60 percent of the Crusade donations each year by staging roadblocks and hosting other events. Fundraising events can be found on WHASCrusade.org/events.
Crusade history
Since 1954, the WHAS Crusade for Children has hosted an annual radio/telethon. Over the years, it has moved around the calendar having been held in November, September, May and most recently in June. A year-by-year history can be found on WHASCrusade.org/whas-crusade-for-children-history.
Kristin Goodwillie joins Terry Meiners
WHAS11’s Kristin Goodwillie and 840 WHAS Radio’s Terry Meiners will emcee the Crusade Variety Show. Show time is 7:00pm (EDT) at the Kentucky Center for the Arts Bomhard Theater in Louisville. The show is open to the public. Admission is free.
The WHAS Crusade for Children will begin at 1:00pm on Saturday, August 8 with fire departments, civic groups, organizations and companies reporting donations. The Crusade will conclude at 7:00pm on Sunday, August 9.
To make a donation
The WHAS Crusade for Children has made it easy for supporters to donate with many different options. Donations can be made securely online at WHASCrusade.org or by mail:
WHAS Crusade for Children
520 W. Chestnut St.
Louisville, KY 40202
Digital donations can also be made using Venmo, PayPal and Alexa Pay. In addition, Facebook users can make a one-time donation on the WHAS Crusade for Children Facebook page or host a Facebook fundraiser for the Crusade. Fire departments and other civic groups will also still be collecting donations this year.
Crusade Network
The annual Crusade Internet/radio/telethon kicks off at 1:00pm (EDT) on Saturday, August 8 and airs in its entirety on WHAS Radio (AM 840), WHAS-TV (Channel 11.1) and on WHAS11.com.
In addition, WBNA-TV (Channel 21.1) in Louisville airs live broadcasts 12:30pm to 6:30pm Sunday, August 9 from the Kentucky cities of Elizabethtown, Shelbyville and Bardstown. WBKO-TV in Bowling Green airs remote telecasts from Campbellsville on Saturday and Leitchfield on Sunday.
Television Network
WHAS-TV, Louisville (flagship station)
WBNA-TV, Louisville
WBKO-TV, Bowling Green
Radio Network
WHAS, Louisville (flagship station)
Internet Network
WHAS11.com
WHASCrusade.org
WHAS11.com will provide live video streaming of the entire broadcast visible anywhere in the world and also simulcast on YouTube and Facebook Live. WHASCrusade.org will provide updates throughout the weekend and a complete list of all groups that make donations.
100 percent for the kids
In its first 66 years, the Crusade has raised more than $190 million for children with special needs. Thanks to generous contributions of goods and services, the Crusade is able to grant 100 percent of all donations to agencies, hospitals and schools that serve children with special needs in all 120 Kentucky counties and more than 50 southern Indiana counties.
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.
About the WHAS Crusade for Children
The WHAS Crusade for Children, established by WHAS-TV in 1954, raises money for agencies, hospitals and schools that make life better for children with special needs. In its first 66 years, the Crusade has raised more than $190 million. Thanks to generous contributions of goods and services, the Crusade returns 100 percent of all donations to organizations in all 120 Kentucky counties and more than 50 counties in southern Indiana. Fire departments raise nearly 60 percent of the money each year by staging roadblocks and hosting 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.
There are so many ways to make a difference and so many people who help the WHAS Crusade for Children. Please meet just a few.
Steve & Annette Roberts
Many who work for the public good during their lifetimes want those efforts to continue once they’re gone. Our WHAS Crusade for Children “1954 Society” honorees, Steve & Annette Roberts, plan to continue to help children with special needs by remembering the WHAS Crusade for Children in their bequest.
Barbie Meyer
Barbie Meyer, continues to help children with special needs by remembering the WHAS Crusade for Children in her bequest.
The WHAS Crusade for Children 1954 Society
Learn more about the Crusade’s 1954 Society, click here or call (502) 582-7706. It’s a simple way to make a long term difference.
To make a secure online donation anytime, click here or call (502) 582-7706.