Bald Knob Cross on mission to raise money for future renovations

ALTO PASS, IL (KFVS) - A Heartland destination is renewing their push for donations.

The Board of Directors for the Bald Knob Cross kicked off their 2019 ‘$1 for the Cross’ campaign.

They are asking local churches to designate one Sunday for a special offering of $1 from every churchgoer.

Bald Knob Cross runs almost entirely on donations.

The idea for the campaign started in 2009 as a way to raise money to keep the Cross shining brightly across the Heartland.

The site hosts an Easter sunrise service annually, a tradition since the 1930s. That’s why the Board decided to make Palm Sunday the day they would ask the churches in the Heartland to keep them in mind.

This campaign, along with several others, have helped raise the funds needed to completely restore the Bald Knob Cross structure which was rededicated in 2012.

The campaign keeps those visiting the cross to visit it for completely free.

Teresa Gilbert, the executive director of Bald Knob Cross, says that nearly 30,000 people visit annually.

“A lot of times people come here because they are hurting, and somehow just going to the cross and being near the cross can be a balm for them, and we can only make that possible through the donations, and the generosity, and the giving of the people in the community,” Gilbert said.

Anyone can donate on their own by visiting www.baldknobcross.com.

Future plans for the cross include parking, a walking path to the cross and a stage area for the Easter sunrise service and other events.

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