Record Staff Report
For the second year straight, the Archdiocese of Louisville topped the list of organizations that donated to the 65th annual WHAS Crusade for Children. Parishes collected a total of $308,000 during the June 2 and 3 collection, setting a new record for the archdiocese.
Overall, the Crusade beat its 2017 total, yielding $5,638,823 by the time the telethon ended June 3. Every dollar donated will be used to fund grants for agencies, schools and hospitals that serve children with special needs in Kentucky and southern Indiana, according to the Crusade’s website, WHASCrusade.org.
The Archdiocese of Louisville is among the recipients of past Crusade grants. In years past, the archdiocese has used the funds to purchase software and devices designed to aid children with hearing loss, sensory issues and other challenges.
During the 2018 collection, the top three parish collections in Jefferson County came from St. Michael Church, which raised $21,745; Holy Trinity Church with $14,500 and St. Martha Church with $11,574.
Outside Jefferson County, the top parishes were: Immaculate Conception Church in LaGrange, Ky., which collected $8,045; St. James Church in Elizabethtown, Ky., with $7,342 and St. Joseph Church in Bardstown, Ky., with $4,532.
Additional parish donations from parishes are expected to trickle in over the next several weeks.
Fire departments in Kentucky and southern Indiana collect the largest share of the Crusade dollars. When combined, about 200 fire departments collect 60 percent of the total, according to the Crusade’s website.
This year, the top 10 fire departments in Kentucky and southern Indiana collected just shy of a million dollars.
Children are also doing their part to support the Crusade for Children. Students in St. Athanasius School’s Beta Club held fundraisers for the Crusade and raised $1,160.68.
Several children set up lemonade stands and collected a total of about $6,000.
In its 65 years of telethons, collections in intersections, parish contributions and other activities, the Crusade for Children has collected more than $180 million, according to the Crusade.
