In 1975, Stanley J. Reynolds, Steve Blank, Ray Johnson, and Mike Reilly, along with many other talented individuals, decided Variety Club of Iowa needed to raise more money to help more children in Iowa. They got together and decided they were going to produce a telethon to rally support around children’s needs in the community.
Stanley J. Reynolds shared his thoughts on that first Telethon in Variety’s newsletter in 1994:
“It seems like yesterday that a group of young men and women decided to put on a show to expand and equip the Neonatal Unit at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines. We were told that it could not be done in lowa. Other telethons had failed. I guess we were too dumb to know that. We did it anyway.
The first year was Father's Day, 1975. The site was the same, the Palace Theatre at Adventureland Park. The station was the same, WOI-TV, Channel 5. Many of the people are still the same, and our goal is still the same - to help as many children in lowa as we can. That first year, we raised $151,000. We were ecstatic. We cried tears of joy! The rest is history. We now are the largest Variety Club Telethon in the United States. The key to the success of the Variety Club of lowa is the development of a family.
The Chief Barkers (Board Presidents), the Honorary Chairs, the volunteers, the cast, Adventureland, WOI-TV, the Post Office, TRIAD and the orchestra are all a vital part of that family. Another feature of the Variety Club of lowa's success are the new people that have joined the family year after year, talented people that will ensure our continued success.
The new leaders know that they can count on the people who preceded them. They know that they will not be second-guessed or criticized, but rather supported. It's a fact that all the past Chief Barkers and Honorary Chairs are still involved, something that not many organizations can say.
A telethon is a large jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces are larger than others, but every piece is very important to the total finished puzzle. The Variety Club of lowa has been blessed with many outstanding individuals who make the telethon tick. No names are mentioned, because all are important. The sense of pride is there for all who have made the Variety Club Telethon the success that it is! Break a leg!”
While many of the individuals involved in the first Telethon have since passed away, we know they would be incredibly proud that their efforts have led to over $140 million being invested in Iowa’s children.
