Audiologists "Hear" with Their Hearts

Audiologists "Hear" with Their Hearts and Generate $50,000 Oticon Donation to American Academy of Audiology Foundation

Thousands of hearing care professionals from across the country responded to Oticon, Inc.'s Hearing with Our Hearts™ campaign, voting with heart-shaped ballots to benefit the American Academy of Audiology Foundation (AAAF). Oticon pledged to donate $10 for each "heart" vote cast during AudiologyNOW! 2009 and invited audiologists to designate how the funds generated by their votes would be dispersed among three AAAF programs focusing on education, research and public awareness When the final votes were tallied, Oticon declared a landslide victory for a worthy cause and a $50,000 donation from Oticon to AAAF.



"The Hearing With Our Hearts program enabled hearing care professionals to participate on a very personal level by allowing them to choose where the donation from Oticon will be dispersed among American Academy of Audiology Foundation programs," states Oticon President Peer Lauritsen. "We are pleased that AudiologyNow! participants responded with such feeling in support of three very worthy programs that accomplish much good for the audiology community and hearing impaired people."

Hearing With Our Hearts heart-shaped ballots were attached to the tote bags distributed to registered attendees at the AudiologyNOW! 2009. Participants had two opportunities to cast their ballots - once at the Oticon exhibit and a second time, at an Oticon-sponsored benefit featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Over 2,000 hearing care professionals attended the benefit concert, taking time to cast a second vote that brought the Oticon donation to the targeted $50,000 goal.



Oticon President Peer Lauritsen, Joan Jett and Brad Stach, Chair of the AAAF Board

In keeping with campaign promises, the donation from Oticon will be dispersed among AAAF programs based upon the number of votes each cause generated. Approximately 40% of the votes supported the AAAF's public awareness efforts which include the Turn It to the Left® campaign, public service announcements and other media aimed at seniors and their families. The education fund supporting science fair outreach and scholarships and awards for graduate students to attend the CAPCSD Summer Institute and other educational conferences netted 35.5% of the votes, followed by 24.5% for research initiatives such as research-focused scientific gatherings and the grants in a hearing and balance science program that funds several different types of research awards for students and new investigators.

"We thank Oticon for their generous support and thank our many friends who responded with heart to this outstanding initiative in audiology philanthropy," said Brad Stach, Chair of the Foundation Board. "Oticon is a long-standing supporter of many Foundation efforts, and we greatly appreciate and value their continued partnership."

For more information about Oticon, visit https://www.oticonusa.com or the Oticon web channel on Audiology Online.