Partnership with Songs For Sound helps support annual Hear the Music Kids Camp
Scottsville (KY. U.S.A), March 8, 2018 – Phonak, the leading global provider of hearing aids and wireless communication solutions, today announces its second annual sponsorship of Songs for Sound’s Hear the Music Kids Camp. The annual camp is among the key programs of Songs For Sound, a national charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with hearing loss.
The partnership between Phonak and Songs For Sound enables entire families of children with hearing loss to attend the weekend retreat at no cost. The camp’s mission is to empower children with hearing loss and their parents to advocate for themselves both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. The camp also aims to equip families with knowledge of the latest hearing technology and encourage them to proactively utilize the hearing healthcare infrastructure to pursue optimal care. Music is a central theme at the camp, which will kick off this Friday, March 9th- March 11th in Scottsville, Kentucky.
“Children with undetected or untreated hearing loss are missing out on the sounds that give us spoken language, hope, laughter and music,” said Jaime Vernon, Founder of Songs For Sound. “Our daughter Lexi’s hearing loss went undetected for a year and a half. Our mission is to make sure that never happens again as we want everyone to have access to the same quality of care we fought to get for Lexi. Through the generosity of partners like Phonak, programs like Hear the Music Kids Camp help us offer the necessary tools and resources to so many communities.”
Over the course of two days, thirty-three children and their families will enjoy horseback riding, fishing, swimming, archery, songwriting and more on 140 acres at the Center for Courageous Kids, a medical camp that serves children and their families that live with chronic medical conditions or life-threatening illnesses. Parents can receive information on the latest pediatric hearing innovations and attend support groups where they can share their experiences. To be considered for the camp, parents are required to submit an application for their children through Songs For Sound with a letter from their health care professional confirming eligibility.
Photo credit: Jay Sottolano
“Dedication to the field of pediatric audiology is embedded in our DNA, and that’s just one of the reasons why Phonak is so proud to support Songs For Sound’s annual Hear The Music Kids Camp,” said Jan Metzdorff, President of Phonak U.S. “We now know that children need to hear 30,000 words per day to get the needed input for spoken language. That’s why early detection and treatment using the latest advances in hearing technology is so vital to a child’s future.”
In addition to the camp, Phonak’s partnership helps assist Songs For Sound’s Hear the Music Project and mobile clinic tours throughout the nation. The mobile clinic provides 10,000 to 15,000 people a year with access to free hearing tests. Each year the mobile hearing clinic serves all demographics across the United States at 16-25 large annual weekend events such as Veterans Expos, air shows, state fairs, health expos, music festivals, as well as over 200 weekday events with community stops at the YMCA, senior centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, veterans’ organizations, preschools in underserved areas, among others.
Not only does the volunteer staff provide test results, but they also offer consultations, showing people how to prevent and treat hearing loss. The staff then refers people to several high-quality local hearing care practices, allowing them to make an informed choice of action. Financial information on hearing health benefits, health insurance navigation and support is also offered. And, when funding is not an option, Songs For Sound supports those in hardship by connecting them to partners offering low to no cost hearing aids.
About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, was created in 1947 out of a passion for taking on the most difficult hearing challenges. Seventy years later, this passion remains. As the industry’s leading innovator, we offer the broadest portfolio of life-changing hearing solutions. From pediatric to profound hearing loss, we remain committed to creating hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. We believe in creating a world where ‘Life is on’ for everyone.
For more information, please visit www.phonak.com.
About Songs for Sound
Songs for Sound is a 501c3 charity founded on a heartwarming story & a passionate objective: to provide AWARENESS OF hearing loss solutions, ACCESS TO hearing loss testing and devices and encourage ACTION for those suffering from hearing loss and deafness. Songs for Sound aims to provide everyone with an opportunity to live a mainstream life full of sound and language, and of course, MUSIC.
