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On Christmas Eve in 1927, an abandoned baby girl was found in the Sheridan Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A note pinned to her dress said that her name was Catherine, and her parents, unemployed, with eight other mouths to feed, could not take care of her. Signed, 'A Heartbroken Mother', the note concluded, "I have always heard of the goodness of show business people and pray that you will take care of her."
And the heart of show business did just that. Unable to locate the parents, The Variety Club, formed as a social club by eleven men in show business, decided to underwrite Catherine's support and education. They named the child Catherine Variety Sheridan, and she became the first of millions of children around the world who have been touched through the efforts of Variety.
The first Variety event, a circus for children, established the theme for the organization. Each local chapter became a "Tent," beginning with Pittsburgh as Variety Tent #1, and continuing as additional Tents have been established. Today, there are more than 50 Variety Tents around the world. In addition, the Presidents of each Tent are known affectionately as "Chief Barkers." All of the dollars raised by each Tent stay in the community and support the programs and facilities that benefit the children in and around that city.
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