Annual "Crusade for Children" Collection June 6-8

The annual WHAS Crusade for Children, a local fire department tradition, will be well underway this weekend. Firefighters all across our local area join together each year to raise funds for children in need. Last year, the 70th iteration, brought in $5,700,525.71, and since beginning in 1954, the crusade has brought in more than $217 million. Quite the staggering figure!

Beginning on Friday, June 6 and running until Sunday, June 8, the Salem Fire Department, as well as local volunteer department Pierce-Polk, will be stationed on the Salem square in order to collect donations for this charity.

“It’s a long-standing tradition,” said Salem Fire Chief Mark Day. “Fire departments in southern Indiana as well as the Louisville area have always collected for the WHAS Crusade for Children. It usually goes to schools to help kids with special needs.

“Sometimes it goes to individuals though. We’ve had a firefighter here in the past whose daughter benefitted from the crusade. The crusade has bought some handicap buses, and I think they bought a bus for West Washington at one point,” said Day.

“The department has been doing this for longer than I’ve been alive,” said Pierce-Polk Fire Department Chief and Salem Fire Department Captain Jeffery Miller. “I’ve been with Pierce-Polk Fire Department for going on 31 years now, but I’ve been collecting since I was a lad. I used to help some of the department members collect back in the day when my dad was involved. He had been in it for a long time…

“A lot of kids go to Norton Children’s Hospital and their families never see a bill because it’s 100% funded by Crusade for Children,” he added. “Also, the Pekin Fire Department was one of the first departments in Indiana to start collecting for this.”

The mission for Crusade for Children is simple: “The WHAS Crusade for Children makes life better for children with identified health care, educational, and emotional wellness needs by inspiring generosity with our community partners… 100% of each donation to the WHAS Crusade for Children helps children with special needs.”

There are many ways to give: you can make your way to the Salem Square anytime between 9am and 5pm on Friday through Sunday and give directly to our firefighters, or you can donate online via Debit/Credit Card, PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App by Clicking Here.