Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1948)

VARIETY DIGS INTO '48 CHARITY WITH $2,020,185 AS ITS GOAL Back from their 12th annual convention in Miami, where they pledged $2,020,185 for charitable work in 1948, showmen in the 31 tents of Vai’iety Clubs International this week already were back at their jobs of sponsoring more than 55 major humanitarian projects. The Detroit barkers were barely rested from their train ride when they gathered at a new $250,000 cancer center dedication. Variety got top billing from Dr. Clarence Cook Little, the director, for it was the Detroit tent which contributed the largest sum of money to undertake the project. It was the first center of its kind. Dr. Little pointed out, because control, research and education and service are combined in one cancer center for the first time. TOP HONOR TO BOSTON It was in the field of cancer research and control that Tent 23 of Boston centered its major interest in 1947 and for which it received the Variety heart award at the convention. The Boston tent set up a children’s cancer research foundation — also the only one of its kind in the world — with an initial contribution of $45,000. This year, the barkers are out to raise $100,000 for the project. The ultimate goal is a million dollars. The cancer clinic, however, is not the only charitable undertaking of the Bostonians. They also spent $20,000 in 1947 for a blood bank and blood research, camps, movies for shut-ins and a variety of lesser projects. Here is the report on what other active chapters of Variety are doing in the area of humanitarian endeavor: TENT 1, PITTSBURGH: The tent will spend $60,000 this year on its camp project, which is being continued on an expanded scale. TENT 2, COLUMBUS: One of the smallest clubs in the organization, Columbus will spend $5,000 on charitable activity this year. TENT 3, CINCINNATI: The club participated in a number of children's charities last year and barkers and their wives served in booths at bazaars that raised money for, St. Mary's and Mercy hospitals; $$25,000 will be spent in 1948. TENT 4, ST. LOUIS: The main charity here is a spastic children's clinic. The club, which has a membership of 175, also conducts a day nursery at the union station that served more than 1,000 children in 1947; also provides a playground and equipment for a reform school, and gave eyeglasses to more than 300 needy children last year; $20,000 will go into charity work this year. TENT 5, DETROIT: Main charity last year was in cancer control. A charity football game raised a substantial sum and the club received a plaque from a cancer clinic for its work. The club also sponsored a school for deaf children and put on a Christmas party for the Michigan Society for Handicapped People. The tent v/ill spend $150,000 in 1948. TENT G, CLEVELAND: This tent of 240 has purchased a large home for its quarters through voluntary contributions and will spend $50,000 this year through the heart fund. TENT 7, BUFFALO: The Variety-Sister Kenny center for combatting infantile paralysis was established in the past year and the club provided substantially all the major equipment and funds for training technicians. The club, which has a membership of 160, also assisted the cerebral palsy department of a children's hospital which was in serious financial difficulties; plan to spend $35,000 on charitable activities this year. TENT 9, ALBANY: Principal activity is a camp for underprivileged boys. The entire town participates in Denial day, when people are asked to deny themselves a soda, magazine or some such article and give the sum to charity instead. Newspapers help promote the idea and the schools also participate. Tent will spend $20,000 this year. TENT 10, INDIANAPOLIS: 'With a membership of 230, the club hopes to raise $25,000 for charity this year. Main charity in 1947 was sponsorship of a Joe Cifre (L) chief barker of the Boston tent which won the 1947 heart award with projector given to a shut-in group and the happy youngsters. Boy Scout troop. Ten shows are given monthly for shutins. This year the club will investigate the possibility of adding sponsorship of a second Boy Scout troop and enlarging the blood bank at the city hospital. TENT 11, WASHINGTON: The two main projects are assistance to hospitals and work with boys' clubs. There are 520 members and a sum is being set aside each year looking to establishment ot a fund for a permanent charity. For 1948 the club pledged $70,000. TENT 12, MINNEAPOLIS: Principal project is a heart hospital, for which the club won top honors a year ago. Meetings are being held with architects and officials of the University of Minnesota and the hospital is expected to be ready by July 1949. Tent will contribute $125,000 this year. TENT 13, PHILADELPHIA: More than $70,000 was spent in infantile paralysis work last year. Other charitable activity included boys' club programs, providing clothing for displaced persons (100 tons was collected), and operation of a 92-acre farm as a boys' camp. The pledge for 1948 is $120,000. TENT 15, DES MOINES: This tent, despite a lack of quarters, had been active in helping underprivileged children through the Mercy Hospital Guild, which takes care of boys from broken homes, and through the WMCA, as well as other causes; 1948 pledge, $15,000. TENT 16, OMAHA: Main charity is assistance to a Dave Bershon of Los Angeles makes a personal contribution of $5,000 to children’s cancer research foundation which the Boston tent is sponsoring. At right is John Dervin, past chief barker at Boston. children's hospital. A home for crippled children also is benefited, cfs well as a Catholic orphanage; 1948 goal is $15,000. TENT 17, DALLAS: This tent with 1,020 members all over Texas, pledged $300,000 for 1948, the largest amount of any of the clubs. Largest project is a boys' ranch, which carries 52 boys through their schooling. The club also gave $50,000 to the Runyon cancer fund, aided indigent showmen and did other charitable work. ’ TENT 18, DAYTON: With 81 members, this tent undertakes no main charity, but seeks out causes which otherwise suffer because they get no public maintenance. Contributions are made to the polio fund and work is done for shutins and others; 1948 goal of $10,000. TENT 19, BALTIMORE: Principal charity is a boys' club serving both white and colored children. Two more clubs are to be opened this year. This work has the cooperation of city and state police. The tent also aided an orphan home, hospital for crippled children and nursery in a colored hospital. The 1948 pledge is $50,000. TENT 20, lilEMPHIS: The main charity here is sponsorship of the Mother's Milk bank. Important work also is done for the aged and entertainment is provided for many shutins. Expenditures for charitable work in 1948 will be $5,000. TENT 21, ATLANTA: Two principal projects are a playground and a camp for destitute youngsters; will spend $85,000 through its heart fund this year. TENT 22, OKLAHOMA CITY: Winner of a heart award two yeOrs ago, this tent sponsors a medical research clinic to which substantial contributions have already been made. The clinic, which is statewide in scope, will study every type of disease and will offer treatment. The pledge this year is $35,000. TENT 24, CHARLOTTE: The main project is a Variety eye, ear, nose and throat clinic tor underprivileged children. The contribution this year will be $25,000. Last year charity work included help for a polio ward, tubercular sanitarium and home lor girls, entertainment lor shutins and relief in many individual cases. TENT 25, LOS ANGELES: Second largest pledge for the year, $200,000, was made by this organization, which has a membership of 336. Two principal projects are a spastic children's foundation, for which more than $9,000 has already been paid out, and a boys' club program, which will be expanded this year. Principal charity here is the premature birth station, vrhich costs up to $50,000 a year for maintenance. TENT 2S, CHICAGO: The main charity ot this club, which has 409 members, is a sanitarium tor children with rheumatic hearts. A research program is under way. The 1948 heart contribution will be $75,000. TENT 27, GRAND RAPIDS: Child delinquency is the tent's main concern. It maintains two youth centers and a comp which serves more than 500 children. The Grand Rapids Press prints a special newspaper once a year on youth day and club members sell the papers and collect the proceeds for their heart fund. An anonymous donor has given d sum to start a fund for building another youth center. The plege for 1948 is $25,000. TENT 28, TORONTO: Membership is 232 and the main charity is providing handicapped children with means of learning how to become useful, selfsupporting citizens. The tent is pledged to build a Variety village, at a cost of about $150,000, and the federal government has donated a site and granted funds to build three camps. The heart fund pledge this year is $60,000. TENT 29, MEXICO CITY: The pledge for 1948 is $50,000. The tent has 178 members and its main cl.arity is the Variety Holy Child orphanage. Work is done for other underprivileged children. TENT 30, TOLEDO: A day school, with an enrollment of nearly 400, is the principal beneficiary of this tent's charitable funds; 1948 pledge is $15,000. TENT 31, NEW HAVEN: In one year the tent has gained a membership of 77 and has for its main abjective a boys' ranch for delinquents. It also is helping establish a hot-food kitchen in a school. The heart fund will spend $5,000 this year. TENT 32, SAN FRANCISCO: Main charity here is a nursery for blind babies, which cares for infants to the age of 6 years and trains them for a sightless life. Shows are given for underprivileged children and contributions are made to help spastic and handicapped youngsters. Will spend $80,000 this year. TENT 33, MIAMI: The baby tent of the organization has for its chief prefect the National Children's Cardiac home, with a 75-bed capacity. Help also has been given a cancer clinic, boys' club and other children's charities and a foundation is being set up for a project now under consideration. The tent has 421 members and will spend $65,000 on charity work this year. 14 BOXOFFICE :: May 1, 1948