Rachel Platt hosted the WHAS Crusade for Children for three years from 2016 to 2018. Now she’s stepping aside and passing the torch to WHAS11’s Lisa Hutson who will be co-hosting with Terry Meiners this year. A few months ago, Rachel left WHAS11 News and accepted a position as Director of Community Engagement at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville.
Rachel and Lisa stopped by WHAS11’s Great Day Live on Wednesday, March 27th to make the big announcement. They were joined by Crusade CEO Dawn Lee, to talk about what’s coming up this year on the 66th annual WHAS Crusade for Children.
The WHAS Crusade for Children is always the first weekend in June, and this year it’s June 1 and June 2, 2019.
Melissa Swan co-hosted with Terry Meiners from 2001 to 2015.
More about Lisa Hutson from WHAS11.com
Lisa Hutson is a news reporter/anchor at WHAS11 in Louisville, KY, specializing in general assignment reporting.
I am so excited to return to my Kentucky roots and call Louisville my new home.
I was born just a few hours south in Murray, Kentucky where my family still resides. While I moved to Arkansas in my early years, I spent many summers coming back to my grandfather’s farm in a little community we like to call Hico, Kentucky. I come from a long line of hard-working Kentucky farmers and I’m still a country girl at heart.
From the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. I lead my high school journalism program while working part-time at the local radio/community television station doing everything from filming sporting events to taking out the trash and I loved it.
My college years took me to Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas where I studied Marriage and Family Therapy.
I returned to my passion for storytelling in 2010 at KTHV in Little Rock, Arkansas. For 3 years, I covered wildfires, tornadoes and the everyday struggles of everyday people. While in Little Rock, I shined a light on the issues local veterans face returning from multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in my series “Life After War.”
My reporting career took me to WXIX in Cincinnati in 2013. I am most proud of a documentary series called “Finding Home” where I followed a local family’s journey out of homelessness which garnered thousands of dollars in donations to local homeless shelters.
For the last two years, I’ve been waking up early in Waco, Texas as a morning news anchor at KCEN telling stories through my series “Heart of Central Texas.”
My husband Wayne and I are so eager to try all the great food that Louisville has to offer and attend those exciting UK-Louisville basketball games. I am so thrilled to serve the city of Louisville and I’m excited to get to work telling the stories that matter to the people of this amazing city.
Imagine being told at an early prenatal check that your unborn child has Down Syndrome. The Duckworth family heard that diagnosis with their daughter River, and the family found hope and help thanks to the WHAS Crusade for Children and Down Syndrome of Louisville.
Meet River
Since 1998, Down Syndrome of Louisville has received $395,000 in Crusade grants to help children like River.
The Papa John’s 10 Miler is this Saturday – March 23rd! It starts at 8:00am.
The WHAS11 First Alert StormTeam forecast is calling for good weather!
There’s still time to register!
1. You can register in person at packet pick-up in the Brown & Williamson Club inside UofL’s Cardinal Stadium beginning at 11:00am this Friday.
2. You can register online, just click here!
The runners of Kentuckiana make magic happen each Spring supporting children with special needs in Kentucky and southern Indiana like Addy (see her video below).
All three legs of the Louisville Triple Crown of RunningSM benefit the WHAS Crusade for Children. Join Addy Clarkson and a cast of thousands.
Here’s Addy with a special messsage:
According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 12 children in the U.S. has had a speech or language issue. Boys are more likely than girls to have those issues. The Compton family faced a speech diagnosis with their son, Cason. Thanks in part to funding from the WHAS Crusade for Children, Cason is finding his voice with help from the Eastern Kentucky University Speech Language Clinic.
Since 1970, Eastern Kentucky University has received $1.5 million in WHAS Crusade funding for Special Ed scholarships and clinical equipment.
The Rodes City Run is Saturday March 9th! It starts at 8:00am.
For more information or to register online, click here!
The runners of Kentuckiana make magic happen each Spring supporting children with special needs in Kentucky and southern Indiana like Addy (see her video below).
Save the dates for the 2019 race series:
Saturday, February 23rd – Anthem 5K Fitness Classic
Saturday, March 9th – Rodes City Run 10K
Saturday, March 23rd – Papa Johns 10 Miler
All three races benefit the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Join Team Crusade
Call the Crusade office at 502-582-7706 for more information on how to join Team Crusade. Team Crusade is a running team that takes part in all three races. Your running skill level doesn’t matter. You’ll join a fun group that just wants to help children with special needs. 100% for the kids!
Recent stories about the Zika virus brought the medical condition microcephaly to the forefront. But in truth the causes are unknown for most babies born with smaller heads and brains. The Perry family is facing the diagnosis with their son, Hayes. They’re finding help and hope at the Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies, an agency supported by the WHAS Crusade for Children.
The Kids Center says WHAS Crusade support to the Center’s effort with children like Hayes is invaluable. Grants from the WHAS Crusade provide equipment and personnel that the Kids Center wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.
Sign up for the Louisville Triple Crown of Running and receive $15 off your entry fee now until January 14, 2019.
The runners of Kentuckiana make magic happen each Spring supporting children with special needs in Kentucky and southern Indiana like Addy (see her video below).
Save the dates for the 2019 race series:
Saturday, February 23rd – Anthem 5K Fitness Classic
Saturday, March 9th – Rodes City Run 10K
Saturday, March 23rd – Papa Johns 10 Miler
All three races benefit the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Join Team Crusade
Call the Crusade office at 502-582-7706 for more information on how to join Team Crusade. Team Crusade is a running team that takes part in all three races. Your running skill level doesn’t matter. You’ll join a fun group that just wants to help children with special needs. 100% for the kids!
Santa’s decked out firetruck will be going around Zoneton Fire Protection District in Shepherdsville, KY, December 6-22. Go to Zoneton Fire Protection District’s Facebook page for a complete schedule, or call the firehouse at 502-955-8076 and hit option 1.
The WHAS Crusade for Children has raised more than $180 million over the past 65 years. Fire departments raise more than 50 percent of the annual donations by staging roadblocks and other events. Thanks to generous contributions of goods and services, the WHAS Crusade is able to return 100 percent of all donations to organizations that serve children with special needs in all 120 Kentucky counties and more than 50 southern Indiana counties.
The 10th annual WHAS Crusade for Children “Building the Future” mini-telethon will air Saturday, December 8th 6:30 to 8:00pm on WHAS11.
The program is devoted to the WHAS Crusade Endowment. It will feature contributors from across Kentuckiana who are making a difference. The program will be hosted by WHAS11’s Rachel PLatt and 840 WHAS Radio’s Terry Meiners.
More about the WHAS Crusade Endowment
In September, 2002, the WHAS Crusade for Children Board of Directors voted to create the new Crusade Endowment.
It guarantees that 100 percent of the Crusade’s annual telethon collections continue to go directly to agencies that help children with special needs. It ensures that millions more children will be helped for decades to come.
– 100% of each donation to the WHAS Crusade for Children helps children with special needs.
– The Crusade Endowment Campaign fully funds our future.
– Beyond your annual contribution, we need your Crusade Endowment donation now.
– Change a child’s life forever, support the WHAS Crusade Endowment.
Watch this video about Jane Charmoli. See why she made the decision to include the WHAS Crusade for Children in her estate plans.
Sign up for the Louisville Triple Crown of Running
to support children with special needs in Kentucky and southern Indiana like Addy.
Save the dates for the 2019 race series:
Saturday, February 23rd – Anthem 5K Fitness Classic
Saturday, March 9th – Rodes City Run 10K
Saturday, March 23rd – Papa Johns 10 Miler
All three races benefit the WHAS Crusade for Children.
Call the Crusade office at 502-582-7706 for more information on how to join Team Crusade.
100% for the kids!