On Christmas Eve 1928, a baby named Catherine was found in the Sheridan Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Her adoption initiated the charitable work of Variety the Children's Charity.

Variety the Children's Charity is an outgrowth of the "Variety Club," a social organization founded in 1927 by 11 men affiliated with the entertainment industry in Pittsburgh, PA.

Variety Children's Lifeline was founded in 1982 to provide medical and surgical assistance to children in less-developed countries.

In 2007, Variety Children's Lifeline provided life-saving and life-enhancing surgeries to over 3,000 children in 52 countries.

Today, Variety has 50 Tents (Chapters) in 14 countries.

Variety has raised over US$1.5 billion for children around the world.