WNYLaborToday.com Editor's Note: Pictured above, Variety Club Telethon President and Labor Co-Chair Tony Vaccaro - who serves as a Business Agent at Teamsters Local 264 (on the left), and Labor Co-Chair William Mayer of International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4 (on the right), finally take a breather after working hard to help raise more than $1 million during the annual Variety Club Telethon that was held over the weekend to support Buffalo’s Golisano Children’s Hospital and other area children’s charities. Western New York Labor came together to donate a combined $75,390 to this year’s telethon.  (Photos For This Labor News Stories Provided By William Mayer)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – Organized Labor came out in force over the weekend to donate more than $75,000 to the 64th annual Variety Club Telethon, which raised more than $1 million that directly supports Buffalo’s Golisano Children's Hospital and other Children's charities.

Throughout just 15 hours, the locally-televised Variety Kids Telethon raised $1,014,326 through various corporate matches and donations made across the Buffalo and Western New York Community, Variety Club announced.

Of that total, $73,390 was raised by Labor Unions and Organizations and their Members.

Variety Club President and Labor Co-Chair Tony Vaccaro, who serves as a Business Agent at Teamsters Local 264, said: “‘Once again, Labor came through and exceeded my expectations.’ ‘Honestly, with the economy the way it is, we were expecting less, so we were pleasantly surprised.’ ‘Like I’ve said for years, Labor is about people helping people.’ And Variety ‘has become what I like to think’ as ‘the preferred’ charity of the Western New York Labor Movement.”

Vaccaro also praised Labor Co-Chair William Mayer of International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4, who also sold, himself, hundreds of Labor Loves Variety Kids Magnets and Hard Hat Stickers that totaled $2,748 in donations.

Said Mayer: “I am ‘so humbled.’ It showed the ‘love of all Labor - the Building Trades and the Public and Private Sectors - people were generous as all get out.’ Everywhere I went people were ‘so receptive (to giving) and there was an absolute outpouring of support for these kids.’ ‘It’s so inspiring.’ When it comes to kids, it’s ‘all hands-on-deck.’ ‘Our kids are our future and it’s up to us to protect these kids.’ ‘But if it wasn’t for all of us working together, it wouldn’t get done.’