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Starkey Hearing Foundation: Giving the Gift of Sound
By: Nicole Roberge
How would you feel if you couldn’t hear your favorite album? If you went to a concert and the sounds never penetrated your ears? Of if you were a musician whose life revolved around the sound of music, but that sound faded with time? There are many people throughout the world who suffer from hearing loss, and many of them will never experience the pleasures of music. More importantly, many will never experience sound altogether—will never hear laughter or the sound of their own name. And unfortunately, many of those who are hearing impaired cannot afford the assistance and treatment they need.
The
Starkey Hearing Foundation is an organization whose mission is to help
people around the world who cannot afford to buy hearing aids. Bill
Austin, who began donating hearing aids in 1973, began the foundation in
March of 1984. They have provided 65,000 hearing aids to people
throughout the world and conduct over 150 missions. The foundation
also holds the So the World May Hear Gala—a fundraiser that
raises awareness of the importance of their cause. 2004 marked the
fourth year of the event, in which Sir Elton John was honored, and
singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw performed.
John was an honoree as he has played a large role in charitable efforts. He met founder Bill Austin at a charity function and bonded over their similar goal to help children around the word. Though John has his own foundation, he has a common bond with Starkey. It was John who noted that DeGraw, as an up-and-coming performer, would be a good addition to this event. Also performing was Nita Whitaker, a consistent performer at these Galas.
What many people don’t realize is the impact Starkey has on musicians, which is why many artists become involved with this foundation. Many musicians have been greatly affected by hearing loss, especially before technology allowed for better-crafted monitors. Being in the environment of loud music every night, musician or not, can severely affect your hearing. Musicians then, have great respect for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and try to spread the word of their goals.
“A lot of musicians, especially ones who have been playing for a while, have hearing loss,” Debbie Wright, executive director of the foundation, noted. “Now they have hearing protection and better monitors, but we have fit numerous musicians.”
Though not all of the musicians involved with Starkey have had hearing loss, they still understand the need to raise awareness for this important cause. There are those who become drawn to this one, though, especially if it has affected them. “There are so many good causes. There has to be some reason for someone to look into your organization. If someone has a family member with hearing loss, then they might look into our foundation. If you don’t know someone with hearing loss, you may not care. You might think it’s a good cause, but so are others. If a celebrity you love shows an interest in the cause, you might look into it. If a person is a fan of Elton John and he supports a particular cause, then that person might have an interest in it. People want to give back,” she claimed is the overall sense.
Wright also noted that even if a person has not been affected by hearing loss in some form, a celebrity who supports the cause might raise interest: “Celebrities have to be responsible when they say things. People tend to listen to them. If I stand up and tell them all about our foundation, they might not listen. But if a celebrity says it, they will be more likely to listen to what they have to say. If you think a lot of that celebrity, you are suddenly interested in becoming involved.”
Wright sees the impact musicians have had on the organization, and how important it is to raise awareness about hearing loss. Many people aren’t directly affected by it, so may not take as much notice. With any cause though, she says, it is important to recognize it and put an effort into helping, especially if it is something that concerns you. The goal of the organization still remains to raise awareness and support. “I have worked here for 14 years,” Wright said. “When I first met Bill, he said, ‘what are your goals?’ and I said something. Then I asked him, ‘what are yours?’ and he said, ‘to make a mark on mankind.’ I had never heard that before. As I’ve worked with him, I’ve seen that it really is his goal. We can do a lot more together than we can by ourselves.”
For more information on the Starkey Hearing Foundation, visit www.sotheworldmayhear.org and see how you can make a difference.