Variety — the Children’s Charity of Iowa raised a record $221,000 for the Variety Compassion Fund during its annual Two Days of Compassion Radiothon. The fund supports Iowa children and families experiencing pediatric medical crises, allowing hospital social workers and nurses to quickly provide financial assistance for needs such as meals, gas and utility bills so families can remain with children during extended and unexpected hospital stays. “For families with a critically ill child, the Compassion Fund offers help at the exact moment it’s needed most,” Wendy Ingham, executive director of Variety — the Children’s Charity of Iowa, said in a prepared statement. “The generosity shown by Iowans during Two Days of Compassion makes an immediate and meaningful difference for families during some of their hardest days.”