Due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions and the inability to gather in large groups, Starkey Hearing Foundation is suspending U.S. and international programs. Without the ability to safely travel, the Foundation is unable to give the gift of hearing to people around the world. The Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “Summer Sounds” Annual Benefit, scheduled for July, has been canceled. We look forward to a time when it is safe to travel and gather so we can reassess how we can return to the important work of helping people hear.
“This was a very difficult decision, but after considering the challenges currently in place, we felt this was the most responsible decision for the organization and the safety of everyone involved in our work,” said Foundation President and Board Chair Richard Brown. “While hearing healthcare is essential and hearing aids are being fit safely by professionals in the United States, travel difficulties, bans on large gatherings and other precautions being taken by countries all over the world to combat COVID-19 have made it difficult to do our work safely.”
About Starkey Hearing Foundation:
Founded on the vision of Bill F. Austin, “So the World May Hear,” Starkey Hearing Foundation has been tirelessly working to bring the gift of hearing to people in the U.S. and around the world. Their global advocacy and impact on hearing loss is unmatched, and since 1984, they have provided free hearing aids and other hearing healthcare services in more than 100 countries. They train local partners and health workers in other countries to provide simple, sustainable and scalable care for the patients they serve. They partner with universities and have started the Starkey Hearing Institute to educate future hearing care professionals in developing countries. Starkey Hearing Foundation also helps governments and public health officials create their own country-specific national hearing health plans.
