Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa’s annual Two Days of Compassion Radiothon is scheduled for Dec. 7-8 on radio station KJJY, 92.5 FM. The radiothon, scheduled to run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., raises money for the Variety Compassion Fund, which helps cover immediate needs for families who have a child in the hospital. According to a news release, the fund is a designated fund that hospital social workers can distribute immediately to families who are struggling. It can help pay for gas cards for travel to appointments, meals for a parent who spends weeks in the hospital with a sick child, payment of some bills, such as telephone and utilities, birthday cakes for children who are spending their birthday in the hospital, child care for siblings when a parent needs to stay with an ill child, and sleep sacks for newborns. Sheri McMichael, executive director of Variety – the Children’s Charity, said the Compassion Fund can help provide hope and assistance to families during their most difficult times. “Families with a child who is critically ill or receiving specialized medical treatment often face the most unimaginable situations,” she said. The Compassion Fund is used at Blank Children’s Hospital, Broadlawns Medical Center and MercyOne Children’s Hospital. Donations can be made during the radiothon by calling 515-276-6669, or at the Variety Compassion Fund website anytime.