The WHAS Crusade for Children is the most successful single station telethon in the country. Since 1954, it has raised more than 123 million dollars to aid in the care and treatment of handicapped children in Kentucky and southern Indiana. It has grown to be the Louisville area’s most popular charity.

During the first weekend of each June, fire departments from Kentucky and southern Indiana wage a friendly competition to see who can donate the most money to the Crusade. Each department appears on TV with a contingency of firefighters, family, and friends to present their contribution. Meanwhile, the camera cuts to shots of the department’s choice fire apparatus parading into view.

The Highview Fire District raises money for the Crusade in many ways. Throughout the entire year, we host events such as raffles, golf scrambles, the Frogtown Hop 5K Run/Walk, and other events. Local stores display donation cans at their registers and we benefit from generous corporate donations in our name as well. During Crusade Week, we begin soliciting local businesses for donations and start our roadblocks, which are parties in themselves. Throughout that weekend, we canvas neighborhoods with fire engines and collect door to door. Children wait in anticipation each year for the chance to greet the fire engines and dump jars of coins into our buckets. Finally on Sunday afternoon, we load up a line apparatus with our contingency and parade to the TV station, as proud citizens and onlookers wave and applaud.

Every year, a Walton award is given to the fire department with the biggest percentage increase over their previous year’s total. Highview has won this award in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2003. We have brought in more money than any other fire department for the past 5 years and more than any single agency for the past 5 years.

If you would like to make a contribution to the 2008 WHAS Crusade for Children in Highview’s name, please contact Station 1 during business hours on how to do so.