hear so the world may
Summer 2012
Starkey Hearing Foundation
with
2012 Gala Listen Carefully Kickoff Event Lebanon • India • Malaysia • Ethiopia • Papua New Guinea El salvador • Mexico • Guatemala • UGANDA • Kenya • Malawi
Celebrate Our global community. Every sound word person is powerful. Understanding is the bridge that we walk to connect. Visit a neighbor lend a hand transform a life. Ever changing growing smaller, closer our world is worth our time, our touch our aid, our investment
our joy.
Tell us your ideas: facebook.com/starkeyhearing 3
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Inside We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts: facebook.com/ starkeyhearing 6700 Washington Avenue South Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org 9440 Santa Monica Blvd #708 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Starkey Hearing Foundation is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) public tax-exempt charitable organization.
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Reel A peek at stunning, documentary films of missions and more.
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Engage News and posts from friends worldwide.
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Field Notes Global Partners: who else is doing good work?
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Noteworthy A star-studded kickoff for Listen Carefully.
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Firsthand Honoree Sister Rosemary offers a safe haven to hundreds of refugee women and children who have suffered the traumas of war.
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Sounds Good Can you identify this sound?
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Recent Missions 14
Being the Village in Ethiopia Doing everything possible for a friend in need.
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Reunion in Il Vasco In El Salvador, we reunite with a joyous mother – and her cow.
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Beirut Hears Our first mission to Beirut, Lebanon connects disparate cultures.
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Whirlwind Tour Four Indian cities, one goal: give the lifelong gift of hearing.
A Gift for Javier Physical limitations are no match for the enormity of human potential.
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Malaysia What a pleasure to serve such gentle people.
Kenya When the African sun sets, the team must improvise.
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Papua New Guinea A young man carries his grandfather to receive the gift of hearing.
Malawi’s MVPs At a school for the deaf, the student becomes the teacher.
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Back to Uganda Working with the Clintons, we get closer to reaching our goal.
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Last Stop: Mexico A telethon and a mission.
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2012 Gala Best ever!
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Excellent real-time documentary-style short films await you at starkeyhearingfoundation.org. So head there—and let us know what you think.
Reel We round up our latest visual storytelling. Triumph and Transcendence Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe is a CNN Hero Award winner and an honoree at this year’s So the World May Hear Awards Gala—but to her, the heroes are the young girls who attend St. Monica’s School in Uganda. This moving film captures just what it takes to restore the survivors of brutality to health, vitality, and dignity.
“What I’ve realized is that, whatever I do, I must do it with love.” Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe
“Where the atrocities of war have broken the spirits of many African girls, Sister Rosemary has revived them with intelligence, with kindness, with love.”
“Those people who have lost hope, the people the community put aside…Sister Rosemary loves them so much.”
Forest Whitaker
Student at St. Monica’s School
Listen Carefully Goes Live Disney and Nickelodeon stars Chris and Kyle Massey join Grammy Awardwinning songwriter/producer Dallas Austin to educate a crowd of more than 1,400 at our launch event. The music and sound experience inspired not only a dance contest but also sent the right message: Hearing is fragile. So don’t listen loudly. Listen Carefully.
Sparkling Sounds Science confirms a folktale: the northern lights, Aurora Borealis, do produce noises that can be heard down on the ground.
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Letters and posts from you—on the web and in the mail.
Engage Our hearing ambassadors had a lot to say about the gala on Twitter.
F0llow the conversation @starkeyhearing. @MileyCyrus: my dad @billyraycyrus is performing at the @starkeyhearing gala this saturday. we <3 this amazing organization! #CelebrateSound #StarkeyGala @michael_johns: I’m here at the Starkey Hearing Center for Excellence. I’ve been told I have perfect hearing! Now being fitted for in ear monitors.
@SteveMartinToGo: When comics get together, it doesn’t get funnier than this.
@tonyhawk: I’m with Busey. @starkeyhearing @ Starkey Event @ St. Paul Rivercenter
@MarleeMatlin: You can’t have a party without fun people. Robin Williams and Billy Crystal are hilarious!!
@starkeyhearing: @billyraycyrus brings the house down with his hit achey breaky heart! @MileyCyrus #CelebrateSound #StarkeyHearing @VerneTroyer: The legendary Sammy Sosa also supporting the @StarkeyHearing Foundation and the gift of hearing.
@maria_bello: @starkeyhearing thank you! One of the best nights of my life. Your compassion and generosity move me beyond.
Young North Dakota resident Hailey McGauvran used to complain about her hearing device: “Ugh! This thing keeps talking to me!” But when her mom Tiffany
put her ear to the new device fitted by the Starkey Hearing Foundation, she realized that there was no static. For the first time, her daughter was catching all of life’s little noises: the crackle of the car radio, or her sister rustling a bag of chips. Now, Hailey’s so pleased with her hearing aid that she runs a lemonade stand to raise money for Starkey Hearing Foundation. Thank you, Hailey, for helping out.
“‘ If you can talk you can sing, if you can walk you can dance.’ @KNAAN at #starkeygala @starkeyhearing” Tweeted by @GabrielSaporta
@ShannonElizb: Thank u again @starkeyhearing! Pls sign me up for ur India mission this winter. I’m all in!!
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Our mission. The goal is clear: Deliver more than 1,000,000 hearing aids this decade. The reason is obvious: Help people in need, in turn transforming families and communities. The method is effective: Reach out to hearingimpaired children and adults around the globeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; many living in isolation, at home and in developing countries. The results are life-changing. Tell us how you can help: facebook.com/starkeyhearing Or donate now by visiting: www.firstgiving.com/ starkeyhearingfoundation/ summermag
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Giving the Gift of Hearing: Globally Bill Austin began with the desire to make a difference 50 years ago. He followed up with action. To date, Starkey Hearing Foundation has given more than 1 million hearing aids to people in need throughout the world. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re building a global network of careâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and you can help.
1 + 1 = 2 = million hearing aids to date
million hearing aids this decade
www.StarkeyHearingFoundation.org
million hearing aids provided to those in need
Countless lives changed, as we impact not just the person in need but also their family and friends with the gift of hearing.
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Colombia The Barefoot Foundation
In Bogota, there are many displaced children. The Barefoot Foundation equips them to close the gap between poverty and success. Its educational programs are open all week, with Saturday and Sunday activities that help keep kids off the streets. In Cazuka alone, two of the Foundation’s schools serve 1,300 students. Singer Shakira is just one of the many voices speaking up for the Foundation and spreading its mission: “Educate and train for a better life.”
India Asha Special School
In Delhi, Starkey Hearing Foundation visited Asha Special School to individually fit each student with hearing aids. Teachers report that it’s easier to convey information now, and that the children are adjusting well to their new capability. The Asha Special School is indeed special: its dedicated faculty and director are committed to integrating their students into society. One individual at a time.
Haiti World Wide Village
From the devastation of the 2010 earthquake, the people of Haiti have risen with strength and resilience, but the level of need is staggering. Starkey Hearing Foundation is committed to restoring hope into the lives of the Haitian people and brought the gift of hearing during four different trips in the last 18 months alone. But to truly make a difference, we have to work together. For the last two years we have partnered with World Wide Village, an organization doing amazing things to transform lives and communities in Haiti. They recently pledged to build 500 homes in an effort to help the thousands still displaced by the earthquake. In Jacmel, we teamed up with World Wide Village and our friend Bill Rancic to build a family a new home and empower them to a better future. 8
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After
Before
We connect with nonprofit partners in distant locations.
Field Notes
Exponential Impact Our hearing missions are just one part of a global movement: an operation that uses hearing as a vehicle for peace and understanding. Another crucial component of this effort is the partnerships that we’re building worldwide with committed NGOs.
Lebanon Ayadina Association
In Beirut, Lebanon, a busy non-sectarian NGO delivers meals, medicine, shelter and crucial services to underprivileged children and senior citizens. When the team visited Ayadina, we saw that the association needed more than hearing aids. In two months, Ayadina would lose its three-story facility, owned by a church, to the wrecking ball. Steven Sawalich, Starkey Hearing Foundation’s executive director, caught the ear of the archbishop. After lengthy talks, the church agreed to let Ayadina stay for another three years while two adjacent buildings were built; then move into one of the new spaces. The fate of the building secure, we celebrated with Ayadina by helping to build a rooftop Garden of Hope atop the center. The reason? Beirut, plagued by conflict, lacks safe outside areas, directly impacting the well-being of children and the elderly. The garden’s playground and ample, shaded seating are now a secure place for Beirut’s citizens to enjoy the fresh air and sunlight.
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A special musical experience enabled deeper understanding of the fragility of hearing.
Noteworthy
Listen Carefully Launches Hip-hop producer Dallas Austin, Nickelodeon star Chris Massey, and actor Kyle Massey—a “Dancing with the Stars” favorite—showed teachers and students that music doesn’t have to be loud to be heard at the Listen Carefully kickoff for Better Hearing Month. MORE THAN 1,400 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS gathered at Central Middle School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, for the brain-bending kickoff of a national educational program with one simple message: Hearing is fragile. So don’t listen loudly. Listen Carefully. This educational event rolled out a partnership between Starkey Hearing Foundation and Scholastic, Inc. Actors Chris and Kyle Massey emceed a surprise dance
contest, and promised to bring one lucky student (and a parent) to Las Vegas to see Kyle Massey in “Dancing with the Stars Live.” The catch: students were only eligible for the prize if they completed a Vow to Act, committing to take action to protect their hearing. Grammy Award-winner Dallas Austin created new musical tracks before the crowd’s eyes on his Beat Thang—a mobile production studio—and renewed his own Vow
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(1) C entral Middle School students insert foamies during the hearing loss simulation. (2) K yle Massey, Chris Massey, and Dallas Austin (3) A Central Middle School student competes in an impromptu dance contest (4) D ave Fabry, Kyle Massey, Chris Massey, and Dallas Austin 4
to Act. And special guest Dr. Dave Fabry of Starkey Hearing Technologies and former head of audiology at Mayo Clinic led a striking hearing loss simulation. First, students wore the foam earplugs they’d been given and for a moment experienced the decibel levels of a full-blown concert. Then, Starkey Hearing Foundation altered the speakers so students could hear a simulation of how the same music
would sound if their hearing was impaired. The presentation made its impact. Teachers took note too. To extend our message, we delivered the Listen Carefully teaching guide to more than 7,000 educators in Nashville, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, Oakland, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, and educators everywhere can download the materials for free at www.scholastic.com/ listencarefully.
Hearing is fragile. so don’t listen loudly. listen carefully.
How loud are the noises around you? loud noise, measured in units called decibels (dBs), can damage your hearing. in fact, 10 million americans suffer from irreversible noise-induced hearing loss. noise levels greater than 80 decibels for long periods can be dangerous, and as you can see on this chart, you might not even realize how loud some everyday noises can be.
150 dB dangerous deciBels (120–150 dB)
deciBels
120 dB
loud To exTreMely loud (80–119 dB)
90 dB 60 dB
saFe To ModeraTe (30–79 dB)
30 dB 0 dB Quiet room
rainfall
conversation
Traffic
lawn mower
chain saw
Jackhammer
rock concert
Fireworks (from 3 ft.)
40 dB
50 dB
60 dB
70 dB
90 dB
100 dB
105 dB
120 dB
125 dB
Jet takeoff 140 dB
eVeryday noises
Learn more about listening carefully at www.scholastic.com/listencarefully. Hearing is Our MissiOn. in 1984, the starkey Hearing Foundation was established with the simple premise, “so the World May Hear.” Thousands of volunteers and sponsors around the world enable the Foundation to deliver more than 100,000 hearing aids annually in countries stretching from the united states to Vietnam. With each hearing aid the
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Recent Missions
Lebanon
Mexico Guatemala
India Ethiopia
El Salvador Uganda
Malaysia
Kenya Papua New Guinea
Malawi
We have delivered the gift of hearing to more than
97 countries. Th Maaban tribe of the Sudan lives so quietly, many can
hear a whisper
across a baseball fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; even in old age.
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Experts project the number of people with hearing loss will rise to
1.1 billion by 2015.
There is grace in each of us. grace
noun, verb /greys/ 1. Beauty of form, motion or action 2. Kindness, goodwill
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Mission: aksum, ethiopia
The Goal
Transform thousands of lives in Mek’ele, Arba Minch and Aksum.
mek’ele, ethiopia arba minch, ethiopia
Being the Village in Ethiopia In making a difference, Bill Austin made a special lifelong friend. To deliver the gift of hearing to any child globally, we work together. We embody the African saying: It takes a village to raise a child. In Ethiopia, we fit more than 6,400 hearing aids to people in need in Mekele, Aksum and Arba Minch. Even so, on the last scheduled day in Aksum, more than a thousand people still crowded outside the gates of our fitting site. We had to leave for Lebanon, but we promised to return to help others in need of hearing care. Our partners in Ethiopia are currently conducting hearing screenings and taking ear impressions in preparation for our next mission. The numbers can be staggering, but we are driven onward by the impact we can make on every individual life. One example: in Sodo, we met Endreas. The 17-yearold orphan suffered not just from hearing loss but also from Podoconiosis or “Mossy Foot,” a disfiguring disease that resembles elephantiasis of the foot and often results in the stigmatization of its victims. After being fit with a new hearing aid, Endreas also revealed that he was suffering from a life-threatening tumor. Bill Austin contacted Sheba Medical Center in Israel and arranged for Endreas to receive surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery was a tremendous success. Endreas is still in Israel receiving excellent post-op care. We believe each life we touch is full of potential; when we help each other meet challenges, we all stand taller.
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What We Did
Bring people together. Save a life.
April 2012
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Mission: beirut, lebanon
Beirut Hears The gift of hearing is shared in Beirut. Nearly 1,000 people arrived at the site of our Beirut mission, some with loved ones and others alone, to be fitted with hearing aids. Many of the women, in long dresses and traditional Hijab headscarves, needed to be fit privatelyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;behind closed curtainsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to respect their traditions. During the fittings in Beirut we saw how proud, strong, and dignified the Lebanese people are. And we learned that our similarities outshone our cultural differences. We met Dimitri, a young man with hearing impairment. After we fit him with hearing aids, he began to dance in response to the sounds he could hear. Yes: people often arrived at the auditorium alone. But by the time they left, they were part of a shared community brought together by the gift of hearing.
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The Goal
Bring our energy and resources to Beirut, Lebanon.
What We Did
Bridge cultures; serve all who came.
April 2012
special thanks: Lebanese Order of Physicians, ALO Cultural Foundation, Joyce White, Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ecoute
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Mission: dharamsala, india new delhi, india
kolkata, india mundgod, india
Whirlwind Tour In four Indian cities, we helped all who came. The team worked tirelessly during our rapidpaced India mission. Mundgod, one of the largest Buddhist communities outside of Tibet, is flat farmland. Most of the people whom we fit lived within a two mile radius from the site. Not so in Dharamsala, a city whose Himalayan foothills appear to be carved from deep green jade—drawing thousands of worshippers to its temples each year. There, we met a young man who’d risked his life walking all the way from Tibet. As the team adjusted his hearing aid, he said he’d received two gifts in one day: his freedom, and the ability to hear. New Delhi was strikingly different. In Mundgod and Dharamsala, we worked among silent, bright-robed monks; in bustling New Delhi, children and adults filed continuously through the doors, and with the help of Starkey India we were able to fit 915 people in just one day. The mission wrapped up in Kolkata where we visited Parents Own Clinic for Deaf Children. On this trip to India we fit more than 4,000 hearing aids. But it isn’t the number that will stay with us. It’s the faces: the two elderly Buddhist monks—close friends—who left the fitting in rapt conversation. The unemployed man, striding home with new hope. And beaming, 2-year-old Sima, laughing at all the new sounds from the warmth of her mother’s arms.
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The Goal
Build a widespread system of care in India.
What We Did
Touch lives; change communities.
May 2012
special thanks: Starkey India, Chris and Santi Curren
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Mission:
The Goal
Help thousands hear, rain or shine.
Malaysia Onslaughts of torrential rain didn’t prevent the team from helping Malaysians hear.
penang, malaysia kuala lumpur, malaysia
Hearing impaired individuals lined up in the sweltering heat at the Penang mission site where the Starkey Hearing Foundation team persevered for six days. Sandi Young, Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., and the wonderful people from Knowles Electronics, ON Semiconductor and Best Hearing Centre helped us change many lives through the gift of hearing, including an entire family: mother, father and four small children. Next the team visited the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, home to more than 1.6 million people. By the time the mission was over, we had fit 5,270 hearing aids. P.S. Larry Fitzgerald was recently named Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year—congratulations Larry!
Jim McMahon
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What We Did
Persevere. Succeed. Transform.
May 2012
special thanks: Sandi Young, Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., Knowles Electronics, ON Semiconductor, Best Hearing Centre
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Mission:
The Goal
Give direct help to as many people as possible.
What We Did
Fit nearly two thousand.
goroka, papua new guinea menyama, papua new guinea
Papua New Guinea Inspiration creates a shared purpose. Papua New Guinea was a monumental mission for Starkey Hearing Foundation. Some might view the beautiful country as the “Land that Time Forgot,” but we have never met a group of people with a greater appreciation for the gift of hearing. The excitement was overwhelming. They couldn’t believe we were actually there to bring hearing help. In the lush landscape outside Goroka Medical Center and Goroka University, we fit more than 1,900 hearing aids. One young man carried his grandfather everywhere, including to our mission site. After the elder was fitted, his face lit up. The lines of communication had been reopened between generations. When we asked the younger man if they needed a ride home, he smiled and replied, “No, it is an honor to carry my grandfather.” But we wanted to reach beyond Goroka. The team traveled by plane, helicopter and finally 4x4 to the remote village of Menyama to change lives. Tribal warriors conducted ceremonial dances and villagers filled the streets in celebration of the gift of hearing.
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May 2012
Bill Austin
special thanks: Starkey Hearing Technologies, Sarthak Das, Clinton Health Access Initiative
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Mission: mexico city, mexico
Last Stop: Mexico
This mission brought a satisfying conclusion to another whirlwind global trip. After six flights from Papua New Guinea, and a second May 21 (thanks to the International Date Line), the Starkey Hearing Foundation team arrived in Mexico City, and Bill Austin got to the TV Azteca studios just in the nick of time. The station hosted a fundraiser to galvanize support for the Foundation, presenting Bill with a check for 1 million pesos to kick things off. During the event, another 6.9 million pesos was pledged, underscoring the strength of our partnership with Mexico â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and of the inspiring power of hearing. While in Mexico City, another mission was conducted to bring the gift of hearing to many in need. This brought an exciting conclusion to our around-the-world adventure: Minneapolis to Ethiopia to Lebanon to India to Malaysia to Papua New Guinea to Mexico. And back to Minneapolis just in time to regroup for El Salvador, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing how much can be accomplished if we just keep moving.
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The Goal
Help people hear in Mexico.
What We Did
Raised 7.9 million pesos and provided hearing help.
May 2012
special thanks: Starkey Mexico, TV Azteca
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Mission: ilo vasco, el salvador san salvador, el salvador
Reunion in Ilo Vasco We meet new friends and old in El Salvador. Returning to Central America, we set up a tent outside a classic, adobe-style church in the small town of Ilo Vasco before entering El Salvadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s densely populated cities. Despite the intermittent rainstorms, 733 people found us, including an old friend. More than fourteen years ago, she had gone to great lengths to change the lives of her four hearing impaired children. To pay for transportation, she sold the family cow. It became clear that the sacrifice was worthwhile as her children heard the sound of her voice for the first time. Nevertheless, Bill Austin insisted on replacing the cow. On this recent trip, the crowds parted as she threw her arms around Bill. She shared the good news that her four children had gone on to become professionals in agriculture, law, education and engineering, and next to her stood the cow. In El Salavador this was only one of the many stories we encountered of lives changed because of the gift of hearing.
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The Goal
Continue our efforts in El Salvador.
What We Learned We live through what we give.
special thanks: OIDO Centre SA de CV
JUNE 2012
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Mission:
The Goal
Expand care in Guatemala.
antigua, guatemala
A Gift for Javier
A young man takes greater control of his life. In Antigua, Guatemala, history was all around us. We established our fitting site in Antiguaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;enclosed by 14th Century rock walls. But the enriching surroundings were outshone by something even more meaningful: our reunion with Javier. We first met Javier, a young Guatemalan, eight years ago. Despite coping with severe hearing loss and gigantism, which greatly hinders his mobility, he has a great sense of humor, a brilliant mind, and an indomitable spirit that inspires all around him, which prompted Bill Austin to stay in touch over the years. Bill saw his old friend again when he was wheeled up to be fitted with new hearing aids. We learned that Javier had become a computer programmer. During the mission, Bill presented Javier with a state of the art, custom-made wheelchair operated by an electric joystick. As his family realized the impact that this would have upon Javierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobility and independence, the entire team saw Javierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical stature outweighed by the enormity of human potential realized.
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What We Did
Returned again to expand the gift of hearing.
special thanks: OIDO Centre SA de CV
June 2012
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Mission: kisumu, kenya
nakuru, kenya
nairobi, kenya
The Goal
Increase our network for sustainable hearing care in Kenya.
Kenya We helped deepen connections in Nairobi, Nakuru and Kisumu. Thousands of people flooded the courtyard of the Nairobi Teaching Hospital. Families arrived, anxious to be connected through the gift of hearing. Our dedicated team served all who came, ensuring that each person left with as much hearing as possible. We left Nairobi on July 4 to begin a week of fittings in Malawi, but our work in Kenya was far from over. After changing thousands of lives in Malawi, we returned to Kenya, this time to visit a school for the deaf in Nakuru. There, the teachers assisted with counseling and the older students honored us with a skit. Under a tent near the playground, we fit a different grade level each day, feeling rewarded as we watched them hear their classmatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; laughter for the first time. We also saw hundreds more, who came from the surrounding area. Then we traveled on to Kisumu, the city on the shore of Lake Victoria, where we set up camp in the schoolyard at Lions Club High School. We served students from schools around the region. And as each new bus arrived, we were reinvigorated by the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s radiant smiles.
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What We Did
Delivered the gift of hearing and grew our partnership with the University of Nairobi.
special thanks: J ohn Arscott â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Pete Store, John Stauch â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Pentair, Joyce White
June & July 2012
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Mission: blantyre, malawi
Malawi’s MVPs
In an abundant farming community, two industrious individuals save the day.
Blantyre Catholic School for the Deaf in Malawi is nestled among hills and small farms. During our July mission there, fruit groves and vegetable fields provided colorful contrast to the plain, sturdy tent where our team completed thousands of fittings. In African communities like Blantyre, extensive ear cleaning is often needed prior to hearing care. Bill Austin’s son, Greg, was the lead for this task, using a video otoscope for examination and cleaning. Clean. Fit. Counsel. Each essential process helps ensure the long-term benefits of hearing care. Yet even with Greg administering lightning-quick, high-tech cleanings, the team was pressed for time. Then, another Malawi MVP stepped up. Felix arrived from a neighboring school for the deaf. Intellectual and intuitive, he flew through his own counseling and began assisting counselors to demystify every step of hearing aid use and maintenance. Eventually, Felix made rounds to every station. By day two, he was running a table of his own. While Greg cleaned ears, Felix inspired the team to push ahead. He stayed through the entire mission, helping hundreds of young people— perhaps unaware of the enormous impact that his presence also made upon us.
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The Goal
Make our fourth Malawi mission a success.
What We Did
Saw new and existing patients with the help of many.
special thanks: Mike Wheeler, Global Health Corps
july 2012
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Mission: kampala, uganda
Back in Uganda “ Friendship multiplies the good of life.” —Baltasar Gracian, Spanish philosopher Our visit to Kampala, Uganda marked the end of our stay in Africa. In this busy city, Boda-bodas (local motorcycle taxis) weave in and out of rush hour traffic. Dusty roads connect suburb to city. Having completed three Ugandan missions since March 2011, and after working for four intensive weeks under the African sun, we deemed Kampala—Uganda’s capital, and its largest city—the ideal location to close out our trip. Every mission shares some common rhythms. The unpacking of equipment and hand sanitizer, the examination and cleaning of ears, and the fitting of silicone molds. The hearing aid adjustment process, and the individual counseling that prepares each person fitted to use, adjust and care for a hearing aid—to transition from a silent world into one full of sound. Always, on hearing missions, there is the astounded laughter of children and adults as they hear for the first time; the urgency of others who are still waiting to see their lives, or the lives of their family members, permanently changed. This mission was special in that we were joined by longtime friends and humanitarians Larry Fitzgerald, Jr.; Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe; and President Bill Clinton, along with his daughter Chelsea. With the help of this dedicated team, our partners at the Clinton Foundation were able to see our Clinton Global Initiative commitment—to fit one million hearing aids this decade—in action. And by the mission’s end, these Starkey Hearing Foundation friends helped us get 12,000 hearing aids closer to our goal after just one month in Africa.
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The Goal
Walk the talk in Kampala.
What We Did
Complete the last of more than 12,000 fittings in just four weeks.
July 2012
special thanks: President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., Uganda Revenue Authority
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What goes into the Starkey Hearing Foundation “So the World May Hear” Awards Gala weekend? We believe it’s a shared commitment and generosity of spirit. Here, we present the entire gala experience with a sense of adventure, to inspire all of us to open our hearts and change the world.
gala opening
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Thursday, August 2
7:00pm
Foundation Appreciation Party Eden Prairie, MN
Thursday Night Party CELEBRATING Foundation and Gala supporters in town, the party was held at the home of Bill and Tani Austin. The event kicks off the Gala weekend and pays tribute to all who support what we are doing around the world.
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More Mulligans The Gala weekend officially tees off each year with the annual golf event, welcoming avid golfers, sponsors, supporters, and friends—among them, philanthropists Ron Harper, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Cole Aldrich, Chris McDonald, Quinton Aaron, Rollie Fingers, and Michael Johns. But
Friday, August 3
8:00Am
it was a foursome dressed in green—Victoria Dreve, Don Tew, Air Soleya, and Sean O’Connor – that shot 56 for the win. Competitors may have challenged the score afterward, but at $20 per mulligan, the more mulligans the better! All proceeds went to the Foundation.
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Olympic Hill Golf Club Event Eden Prairie, MN
Golf Event Sponsor:
Friday Night Party Sponsors and celebrities mingled at a charged VIP party in their honor, hosted by Bill and Tani Austin. Among the hundreds in attendance were Sammy Sosa, Gary Busey, Chris McDonald, Verne Troyer, Quinton Aaron, and Maria Bello. Mr. Busey performed a few songs early in the evening, while Michael Johns jammed into the night with Robert Lee Kobb Band. Bright tablecloths in signature Maasai plaids highlighted the Honoring Africa theme, the team having just returned from a month fitting more than 12,000 hearing aids in Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda.
7:30Pm
Sponsor Party Eden Prairie, MN
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Marlee Matlin and President Bill Clinton
Magic Carpet The mid-afternoon VIP
Cyrus, Michael Johns, Glenn Frey,
Champagne Reception and Silent
Jackie Evancho, Wintley Phipps, and
Auction hosted an impressive turnout,
K’NAAN.
but by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, nearly 1,500 philanthropists were present at this year’s Gala to walk the red carpet. Each entrance was filled with the transformative power of the guests, presenters, performers, and honorees, and together, we raised a record $7.6 million, topping last year’s $7.2 million. Through ticket sales, sponsorships, donations, and both live and silent
Honorees Sister Rosemary
Nyirumbe, who runs St. Monica’s School in Uganda, actress Maria Bello, who was recognized for her work with WE ADVANCE in Haiti, and philanthropists John Johnson, and Glenn and Mindy Stearns accepted their awards with powerful words and grace.
auctions, we’ll fund the Foundation’s
future global hearing missions and
with Bill Austin’s stirring words
national programs, and change lives.
about how many of those we help are
Celebrity and VIP supporters
were on-hand, including President Bill Clinton, sports stars Tony Hawk
Presenters were no less inspiring,
simply asking for a chance to be part of tomorrow, alongside President Clinton’s deeply moving stories.
and Sammy Sosa, World Poker
champions Michelle Lau and Jerry
including El Salvador and the
Yang, astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Scott
Dominican Republic, and a film shot
Carpenter, and an impressive list of
in Uganda emphasized the vital need
actors.
for social justice in the world and the
Performers included Steve Martin
Footage from hearing missions,
purpose of the evening.
& the Steep Canyon Rangers, Billy Ray Robin Williams, 2012 Honoree John Johnson, Billy Crystal
Saturday, August 4
5:00pm Chevy Chase offers a hilarious introduction for President Clinton
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So The World May Hear Awards Gala Saint Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN
Steve Martin performs with the Steep Canyon Rangers Kyle and Chris Massey
Rick Born donated a guitar—autographed by his friend Glenn Frey—for the event’s live auction led by Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. The bidding started at $1.6 million; when nobody bid, the price was reduced to $12. Frey’s guitar ended up selling for $130,000 to Sammy Sosa and Pedro Martinez in a shared bid.
Sammy places the winning bid
Event Sponsor:
Dinner Sponsor:
Michael Johns, K’NAAN, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Chevy Chase, Norm Crosby, Tani Austin, President Bill Clinton, Bill Austin, Billy Crystal, Forest Whitaker, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Glenn Frey sta r ke y he a r i n g f o u n dat i o n
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Maria Bello surprised the crowd when she ran to the stage to join Sister Rosemary and make a $5,000 offer for one of the aluminum pop-top handbags designed by her students at St. Monicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School. The gesture motivated others in the room to follow suit, raising more than $30,000 for the school.
Saturday, August 4
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Jackie Evancho mesmerized the audience with her precocious a capella mastery.
K’NAAN drummed and encouraged the audience: “If you talk you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance.” Executive Director Steven Sawalich unveiled the production of an inspiring new television docu-series, “Operation Change,” that documents the Foundation’s message and highlights partnerships around the world.
9:30pm
After Party Saint Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul, MN
Afterword To cap off the evening, guests filed downstairs for the After Party. As the Robert Lee Kobb Band played, the performers were on hand to mingle. We spotted the Massey Brothers, Quinton Aaron, and five-time NBA Champion Ron Harper late in the evening, dancing with the many Gala guests. sta r ke y he a r i n g f o u n dat i o n
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front row the andersons with
Brad and Janet Anderson have an extraordinary lifetime giving record.
Avid Gala supporters and mission sponsors since 2006, the Andersons placed yet another winning bid at this year’s auction to sponsor a mission in 2013. As CEO of Best Buy, Mr. Anderson was recently named one of “The Best CEOs in America” by Institutional Investor. A lifelong audiophile, he joined the company in 1973 as a commissioned salesman at the fledgling Sound of Music, a small chain of stereo stores that was the precursor to Best Buy. To this day, he still believes that the best ideas come from those employees who are closest to the customer. Meeting those he helps to sustain on hearing missions similarly allows him to better understand hearing health and be an influential supporter of it. Mrs. Anderson is no exception. A retired public school social worker, she is a full-time volunteer and accompanies the Foundation on missions. Her motto is to keep giving until it feels good.
With the Andersons’ joyful dedication, the future of hearing and connectivity worldwide is bright:
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Stepping out From red carpet to hearing missions.
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re used to seeing our heroes walking the red carpet, but some of our favorite celebrities roll up their sleeves on hearing missions, helping the Foundation to fit hearing aids throughout the world. Even polished speakers become deeply moved at the Gala while discussing the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission and honoree accomplishments, and for good reason. They mark a different type of celebrity achievement in the field.
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Here are some of our heroes that reflect the generosity of spirit that the Foundation stands for:
Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe
Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe is known for openly defying Joseph Kony and the rebel soldiers and commanders of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in their 20-year reign of terror. Since 2002, she has also enrolled more than 2,000 girls, who had been previously abducted by the LRA or abandoned by their families, in St. Monica’s School in Gulu, Uganda and worked with the Foundation to ensure hearing health for families towards self-reliance, peace, and prosperity.
President Bill Clinton
President Bill Clinton’s inspiring words incite the world to take action. What many don’t know is that Clinton, himself, accompanies the Foundation on its hearing missions, most recently to Uganda, working alongside the Austins to fit hearing aids, assisting those with the greatest need.
Pedro Martinez
Baseball fans know Pedro Martinez as an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion pitcher. Many across the world, however, recognize him for his philanthropic generosity and work on hearing missions for the Foundation.
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“When celebrities are out there, doing the work themselves, it raises awareness for millions. That’s when you get a wave, a turn of events for good.” —Tani Austin
Maria Bello
Maria Bello lights up the silver screen and primetime television with stellar performances and has won prestigious awards, but her off-camera contributions are equally impressive. While in Haiti, Bello worked with Foundation staff to fit children and young adults with hearing aids and co-founded WE ADVANCE, to help Haitian women rebuild their community devastated by natural disaster.
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin is the youngest actress, and the only deaf performer, to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She is also a key advocate for the Foundation, visible at multiple Galas and accompanying the Austin’s on hearing missions, working from a space of empathy and personal experience.
Glenn & mindy Stearns
Glenn and Mindy Stearns are not just stars in the finanical services sector and broadcast journalism, they also shine as founders of Life Changing Lives. One Nation, One Heart--breaking the cycle of child abuse, one child at a time. The Stearns Family Charitable Trust is helping these children by awarding grants to provide shelter, education, support, and hope.
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sister rosemary nyirumbe leads women to be change agents for peace and prosperity.
Firsthand
Sister Rosemary Takes a Stand Honored at this year’s So the World May Hear Awards Gala was Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe— bringing hope to the hopeless and healing the wounds of war.
She adds this distinction to many, including CNN Hero of the Year in 2007, and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination by Dr. Madeleine Albright. As a scholar, leader, and director of St. Monica’s School in Gulu, Uganda since 2002, Sister Rosemary has offered a safe haven to hundreds of women and children who have suffered the trauma of civil war or abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Residents not only gradually rebuild their lives through learning cooking and dressmaking but also reclaim their dignity. She extends to us all the same hands-on learning that she offers her students at the missionary school—to see and understand what needs to be done firsthand.
When did you first connect with Starkey Hearing Foundation? Three or four years ago we came together as a team. The partnership and collaboration started with Pros for Africa, sending doctors, lawyers, volunteers, sisters, and athletes to Africa. It was a great moment to see all the different organizations coming together to support the work. Before then, I had no idea how many had experienced hearing loss.
Tell us about St. Monica’s, where you devote so much of your time and heart, and the students there.The mothers are quite young. During the war, they were abducted by rebels. A lot of the girls feel anger and direct it toward their children, and the children are very innocent. When we take them in, we give them support. We help them. We become like mothers to them because we know very well that these young girls themselves have lost their own childhood. We find that in helping them and their children
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together, they begin to love their children and begin to care for them, and they take responsibility. The future of hope is there for them.
Have things improved as the violence subsides? It’s true that now there is relative peace. You can say the sound of the gun is now silent, but in the hearts of the girls, the sound of the gun is still going on. And we need to go on a journey with them; we need to work with them to understand the pain, which is going on in their hearts.
What are you doing to teach hearing care? We value sustainability in all that’s being done. In order to have this sustainability, to see it going forward, our own people must get trained to identify infections, to treat them—not letting it go to the level of hearing loss. Then we have this problem, financially, with transport, to reach out to these people. The bottleneck is that our area coverage is so big, all the way up to South Sudan—we’ve started outreach. We’re moving ahead with the Foundation and with the help of other organizations . . . If you are not healthy, you cannot be educated; if you are not educated, you will not value health.
How is training being set up? In South Sudan and North Uganda, the sisters are able to find people with hearing loss, and it’s important to open a corner of the school to children with hearing loss— to get help and continue with their education, and train them in sign language.
What does the future hold? We want to see that we are benefiting disadvantaged people in the right way. We hope all of these organizations will continue working with us to inspire other organizations like Pros for Africa and Starkey Hearing Foundation. Then you can accomplish what you want to do. We want people to come and see what needs to be done, to make a difference in their own mind. I can tell them, but they can’t see all the details until they come look.
â&#x20AC;&#x153; You can say the sound of the gun is now silent, but in the hearts of the girls, the sound of the gun is still going on.â&#x20AC;?
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Sounds Good Can you identify that sound? The familiar mirror slap, and shutter click, of a traditional camera. But wait: digital cameras are fully automatic. This means that there’s no mirror to flip out of the way before taking a photo; no mechanical click as the shutter opens. Digital cameras play a recorded audio bite, capturing the memorable sound that many of us grew up with. This is part of a contemporary phenomenon called “skeuomorphism:” the inclusion of design elements that enhance an 5 0 sta r ke y he a r i n g fo u n dat i o n
object without serving the essential function they once did. Your new camera could simply beep, or display a check-mark, to indicate that you’d captured the shot. But take a moment to consider how satisfying that would be. So the next time your cell phone’s camera whirrs and clicks, take note. This pleasing, iconic sound is as much a part of our photographic culture as smiling, and shouting “Cheese!”
listen carefully.
Music: we want you to be able to hear it. The sounds of a guitar. The lyrics to your favorite song.
The majority of teen hearing loss can be prevented. Join the movement at www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org
One in 5 teenagers has hearing loss due to high-volume sounds in daily life. Like the blare of car horns. Or the music pumping through your headphones. You can’t control the volume of the world around you, of course. But you can lower the volume of your headphones. It’s such a simple thing to do. You’ll save your hearing. Your hearing is fragile. So don’t listen loudly. Listen carefully.
Protect your hearing. Lower the volume.
thank you for your support! Bill & Tani Austin Starkey Hearing Foundation
Save the date â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Awards Gala, July 28, 2013!
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