LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Along Preston Highway and Outer Loop in Louisville Friday afternoon, fire department crews lined the streets, but it wasn't for an emergency call.
Firefighters across the WHAS11 viewing area made a last push hours ahead of the 69th annual WHAS Crusade for Children telethon, set to start Saturday at 1 p.m.
Between drive-through posts, roadblocks and door-to-door neighborhood fundraising, crews collected any last-minute cash donations.
"It's our way of giving back to Crusade for doing so much for people around our area," said Captain Scott Underwood at the Okolona Fire Department. "Any donations, small or big, help."
It's a commitment firefighters like Underwood have made for more than two decades. Each year, he watches people be selfless, including one family he said dropped five $100 bills into the bucket Friday.
A little farther south, just over the Jefferson-Bullitt County line, the Zoneton Fire Department fueled up and hit the road in a handful of firetrucks to a nearby neighborhood.
"We've got a big group of people here ready to go out and start collecting from house to house," Zoneton Fire Chief Kevin Moulton said. "I know of friends, close friends, whose families relied on the Crusade -- members of our own organization have families that relied on the Crusade. So that just keeps the drive going."
From house to house, the vision is clear. And the mantra is no donation is too little.
"Dig deep in those pockets. I know that the cost of everything is going up, but it's going to a great cause," Moulton said.
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