WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, Variety Club Kids Telethon Labor Chair Tony Vaccaro of Teamsters Local 264 (on the left) welcomes International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4 Representative Bill Mayer as the 2023 Labor Co-Chair of the 61st Annual Variety Club Kids Telethon that traditionally raises $1 million to help Buffalo’s Oishei Children’s Hospital, as well as the Robert Warner MD Rehabilitation Center and other children’s charities across the Western New York Region.   (Photo Courtesy of William Mayer via the Social Network Facebook)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – Variety Club Kids Telethon Labor Chair Tony Vaccaro is getting some help this year from a familiar Union Brother as he prepares for the 61st Annual Variety Club Kids Telethon that traditionally raises $1 million to help Buffalo’s Oishei Children’s Hospital, as well as the Robert Warner MD Rehabilitation Center and other children’s charities across the Western New York Region.

International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4 Representative Bill Mayer - who has immersed himself in the charitable event over the years, has been recognized for his hard work and named Labor Co-Chair of this year’s telethon, which will be held on Saturday, March 4th and Sunday, March 5th.

A traditional Labor Hour will take place on Sunday, March 5th between the hours of 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., where a number of area Labor Unions will make their donations on live TV and where a bank of telephone operators - all Members of a variety of Labor Unions, will man phone lines to take additional donations made on behalf of those who belong to Organized Labor.

Mayer - who over the course of time has helped to heavily promote the Variety Club Children’s Telethon to the Western New York Labor Community through Social Media, posts of countless photos he’s taken of Unions donating to Variety Club, and his creation of hard hat stickers and magnets that he sells to raise additional dollars, declined to be interviewed for this story. 

The modest Mayer would only say he “does it for the kids and for the Western New York Labor Movement” in general.

That, however, did not stop both Vaccaro - a Teamsters Local 264 Representative, and Variety Club Executive Director Richard Goldstein from publicly recognizing and heaping praise on Mayer for his hard work in helping raise dollars for such worthy causes.

“I am ‘grateful’ to Bill for accepting (being this year’s Labor Co-Chair).  Billy has been a part of this (the telethon) for a long time,” Vaccaro told WNYLaborToday.com.  “He is a ‘tireless’ advocate.  ‘He’s always on the go - he never stops.’  He’s ‘like the energizer bunny and his heart is in the right place.’  ‘I thought it would be great seeing him as’ Co-Chair.”

Goldstein told WNYLaborToday.com that Mayer has always been a person that he sees “rooting” for Variety.

“His photos ‘promote’ the telethon through ‘Labor’s eyes.’  When they see his photos, they know: ‘It’s telethon time.’  ‘He gets our word out.’  ‘And he is like the energizer bunny - for the Union Movement,’” he said.

Vaccaro says he’s “excited” about this year’s Variety Club Telethon, which salutes our Home Town Heroes - Essential Workers, Nurses, Health Care Workers, First Responders, Police and Firefighters, who played such an important role in our communities over the past 12 months, notably the racist shootings on Buffalo’s East Side to a devastating holiday snowstorm that took the lives of more than 40 Buffalo area residents.

“This past year, ‘we’ve been through a lot,’” Vaccaro said. “We’re ‘hoping the public will acknowledge what they’ve done for us by making a donation to the telethon.’  And Children’s Hospital ‘is right in our own backyard.’  ‘And, sometimes we take it for granted.’”

“This is ‘our’ (Labor’s) charity event,” he continued.  “Our benchmark is raising ($50,000).  Our Members ‘come through - every year.’  ‘We’ve gone through a couple of tough years because of COVID, but we’ll be trying to top the (overall $1 million) mark.’  ‘We came very close last year.’  ‘It will be nice to have a non-COVID’ telethon this year.”

Meanwhile, Goldstein said the average pledge is around $18, he said, with credit card donations averaging $52.

“Last year, Organized Labor raised ($50,000),” Goldstein said. “That’s ‘huge because think about it - (Variety) opens the doors for anyone and that’s why everyone roots for Variety.’  We ‘appreciate’ the calls and donations ‘made by’ Union Members.  ‘Think about it - Variety has helped (area) families who’ve need these services and now, (Union Members) are giving back.’”

The 61st Variety Club Telethon will be televised live on WGRZ-TV/Channel 2 on Saturday, March 4th between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., and then on Sunday, March 4th between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on WBBZ-TV/Channel 67.1/Cable 5.

On those days, donations can be made by: Calling 716-558-7575 or Toll Free at 1-800-507-7753; Credit Card Donations can be made by calling 716-923-4357; Donations can also be made on-line by visiting www.varietybuffalo.org; or by texting VARIETY to 20222 to make a $20 donation.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: For more on the 2022 Variety Club Kids Telethon, read: “I ‘Can’t Put Into Words How Proud I Am’” - The 2022 Variety Club Kids Telethon ‘Raises $900,000-Plus,’ With Western New York Labor Unions & Their Members ‘Contributing More Than’ $50,000 - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York