When hearing of an abandoned baby girl on Christmas Eve of 1928, eleven show business men stopped relaxing and became empowered. One year earlier, these men from Pittsburgh had formed a social group. Because of their connection to show business they called their group “The Variety Club.” Now the members offered to act as the baby’s godfathers.

They named the infant “Catherine Variety Sheridan” in recognition of both the Variety Club and the Sheridan Center where the child was discovered. Catherine’s impact on the eleven men would live on in the new focus of Variety: to help children and their families who need help.



Variety – The Children’s Charity in Ontario has its own ties to show business. Variety Ontario was established in 1945 by John J. Fitzgibbons, an American who came to Toronto as president of Famous Players Theatres. He brought the inspiring Variety story and along with it the strong sense of personal values for which it stood. As the result of this pioneering, ten men joined him to form an initial Toronto eleven similar to the Pittsburgh group.



More than 60 years after Fitzgibbons’ establishment of the Toronto Variety Club, his vision lives on. Each day we strive to help young people and their families feel integrated in their community and provide programs and services of the highest standards.