The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) has released the 2009 schedule for its Walk4Hearing program. The first event will be March 21 in Gainesville, FL, followed by 16 walks in other locations throughout the spring and fall of the year.
The Walk4Hearing was started by HLAA to increase the public's awareness about hearing loss, eradicate the stigma of using hearing aids, bring recognition that hearing loss is a health issue and raise funds to provide services for people with hearing loss at the local and national levels. The walk started with six sites in 2006 and has grown to 17 walks in cities across the country.
HLAA Executive Director Brenda Battat, MA, says, "Teams and walkers are the lifeblood of the walks, and we encourage people to form teams, join teams and walk the 5K to support the cause, to walk for someone they care for, to walk for their clients or just to get out and have some fun and exercise and increase awareness about hearing loss at the same time."
The walks are run by volunteers in the local HLAA chapters-coordinated by an HLAA staff person, a walk consultant and the HLAA president who is the brainchild behind the walk. Funds raised are split between local HLAA chapters and the national organization. There are opportunities for national and local sponsorships.
Battat adds, "Some audiologists in the communities where the walks are held already participate, but we would love to get the word out to them and have more audiologists walking, forming teams, being local sponsors or participating in any way that is attractive to them as a community outreach effort."
The Walk4Hearing 2009 schedule can be seen here. For more information on Walk4Hearing, visit www.walk4hearing.org. For more information about HLAA, visit www.hearingloss.org.
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