The Variety Children's Charity of New England
A non-profit charity associated with the entertainment industry, the New England chapter of the Variety Club (now called the Variety Children's Charity of New England) was instrumental in the creation of the Jimmy Fund and continues to be one of its strongest supporters today.
Variety Club members became involved after hearing Dana-Farber founder Dr. Sidney Farber, MD, speak about his research into children's cancer in 1947. The following year, the club raised $45,000 in its first fundraising drive to support Farber's research at the Children's Cancer Research Foundation.
Later that year, it was a Variety Club barker who convinced Ralph Edwards of the "Truth or Consequences" radio show to hold a radio broadcast from the bedside of a 12-year-old boy dubbed "Jimmy" - a campaign that raised $200,000 to launch the Jimmy Fund.
The Jimmy Fund/Variety Children's Charity Theatre Program, started in 1949, added to that amount, and within four years, Farber was able to cease working in the basement of Children's Hospital and move to roomier quarters in the new four-story Jimmy Fund Building.
Since that time, the Variety Children's Charity's commitment to the Jimmy Fund has been unswerving. Thanks to their efforts, Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Joan Crawford, and Frank Sinatra - to name a few - have given their time, talents, and influence to solicit contributions for the charity. The Variety Club now sponsors an annual golf tournament to benefit the Jimmy Fund, and its theatre collections program, now in its 53rd year, has surpassed the $1 million mark every year since 1991.
