Glenn Bird of Zounds Hearing awarded Melody Gonzalez a pair of free hearing aids.
For the first time in the seven-year history of the Chattanooga Walk4Hearing, the top fundraiser for the event received a free set of hearing aids. Glenn Bird, owner Zounds Hearing of Chattanooga, awarded Melody Gonzalez with a free pair of Imprezo 20 hearing aids at the annual event. Ms. Gonzalez raised more than $1,700 on behalf of the Chattanooga Walk4Hearing.
The Chattanooga Walk4Hearing, hosted by the Chattanooga chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America, is held each year to promote public awareness about hearing loss, raise funds for programs and services that assist the hard of hearing community and help to eradicate the stigma associated with hearing loss.
"The Chattanooga Walk4Hearing is an important event in our community that helps to raise awareness of something that is much more common than people think," said Mr. Bird. "The funds raised go towards many worthwhile programs and endeavors that help a large percentage of our population.”
In the Chattanooga area, funding is used in various ways including captioning of live theater productions, funding for hearing aids and devices for those who can't afford them, and installation of hearing assistive technology in public places. On a national level, some of the funds go towards outreach to veterans who return from combat with hearing loss and advocacy to affect legislation that impacts people with hearing loss, such as Medicare allowing hearing aid coverage.
“Zounds Hearing of Chattanooga was proud to work with the Chattanooga chapter of the HLAA to make this happen,” said Mr. Bird. “We have been welcomed so warmly by the members of HLAA, as well as, by the Chattanooga area as a whole and this is just one way that we can give back to our community.”