Variety Telethon

This Year's Variety Telethon

The 51st Telethon Spotlight Special aired on Saturday, March 1, at 7 p.m. on Local 5 – ABC and highlighted the incredible impact we’ve made on Iowa’s children this past year and gave a heartfelt thank you to the amazing companies and organizations who helped make it all possible. Watch the full one-hour show below!

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In 1975, four businessmen came up with a plan to raise dollars to help Iowa's children. Stanley J. Reynolds, Steve Blank, Ray Johnson, and Mike Reilly created a locally produced Telethon to rally support around children’s needs in the community. The first annual Telethon aired that year and raised $151,000 to provide medical equipment to a local hospital.

Pictured left to right: Variety Telethon founders Mike Reilly, Steve Blank, Ray Johnson and Stanley J. Reynolds

The Telethon is the foundation Variety was built upon and is the highlight of each year. Since the inception of the Telethon in 1975, Variety has raised more than $140 million for Iowa’s children. For the first 46 years, the Variety Telethon lasted 16–24 hours and hosted a lineup of local and international celebrities who appeared on air, along with thousands of corporate volunteers and donors who pledged their ongoing time and support to Iowa’s children.”

Since then, the Variety Telethon has evolved into a one-hour, televised multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign that still highlights the many ways Variety helps Iowa’s children. Variety VIPs (Very Interested Persons) and corporate supporters continue to raise funds that will support Variety's five programs:

Grant Program – Variety awards funding to children’s nonprofits annually. In 2024, 81 nonprofits helping children in Iowa received Variety grants.
Mobility – In 2024 Variety provided over 100 custom pieces of mobility equipment to children with special needs and awarded over 800 traditional bikes to underprivileged children.
Variety Vans – Over the last 40 years, more than 400 Variety Vans have been granted to children’s nonprofits in Iowa.
Variety Star Playgrounds – To date, Variety has built three inclusive playgrounds and supported many others so children of all abilities can experience the joy of a playground.
The Compassion Fund – Countless children and families experiencing long hospital stays have received financial assistance from the Variety Compassion Fund.

For 51 years, Iowans have joined together to contribute their time, talent, and hearts to the Variety Telethon and have collectively raised over $140 million to impact Iowa’s children.

Get Involved

We're always seeking passionate individuals, organizations, and companies to join our Telethon campaign in support of children across Iowa. Whether you want to get involved personally or through your organization, we'd love to connect and explore ways we can work together to make a difference. Please email Wendy Ingham to find out how you can get involved with Variety.

Become a Variety VIP

Very Interested Persons, or Variety VIPs as we call them, are volunteers who work miracles before, during, and after Telethon by raising dollars for Variety. These individuals are the backbone of our Telethon fundraising efforts and consistently generate more than $1 million annually by collecting pledges both large and small.

As a Variety VIP, you will:

Advocate on behalf of Variety in the community
Have access to a fantastic network of caring individuals who are changing lives
Reach out and gain financial commitment from your peers
Serve on a team of committed peers who are equally focused on a successful fundraising effort

Corporate Support

Each year, countless companies and organizations come together to fundraise for Variety in creative and meaningful ways. From organizing corporate VIP panels and employee engagement campaigns to hosting jeans days, payroll deduction programs, and silent auctions — there are endless opportunities to make a difference!