STATEHOUSE (Feb. 24, 2023) – In the same radio station where he spent much of his career, State Rep. Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) on Friday evening presented Harold Welter a Sagamore of the Wabash award.
Culp surprised Welter with the award at the WKVI radio station in Knox as he was surrounded by family and friends. Welter worked as a sports announcer at Knox radio station WKVI for 53 years and has announced over 3,000 high school sports games from 147 different locations in Northwest Indiana.
"Harold's voice is legendary and he was even calling games before WKVI went on the air in 1969," Culp said. "He is a true sports enthusiast who dedicated 57 years to student athletes and this community."
Apart from his dedication to sports announcing, Welter and his wife, Becky, started the Cheryl Lyn Welter Charitable Foundation in memory of their daughter who died in a vehicle crash her senior year in high school. The not-for-profit organization strives to change the lives of kids in need who attend local schools. Through the foundation, teachers can receive grants to help pay for student field trips, school supplies, books and other needs that enrich their lives.
Welter is also a local business owner who founded Financial Partners of Knox, LLC. He served six terms as a member of the Knox Community Schools board of trustees, is a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, where he teaches religion, and is a Founder of The Holy Family Foundation for Catholic Education, Inc.
He is a recipient of the IHSAA Distinguished Media Service Award and inducted into the Indiana Sportswriter's Hall of Fame in January.
Dating back to the 1940s, the Sagamore of the Wabash award was created by former Gov. Ralph Gates. It is the highest honor the governor can bestow and is presented to distinguished Hoosiers who have made significant contributions to the state of Indiana.
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State Rep. Kendell Culp (R-Rensselaer) represents House District 16,
which includes portions of Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and White counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
