Chattanooga HLAA Walk4Hearing Press Release!

Just Released TODAY! If you are in the Chattanooga area and would like to join us, please come! We are wearing red, white, or blue shirts (or all of the above) and have white hats with our HLA of Knoxville logo. If you have anything PATRIOTIC, bring it with you! Thanks for all you do!

May 15, 2009

Betty A. Proctor, Chairperson
Baproctor1@comcast.net
Cell Phone: 423-605-6981
Work Phone: 423-697-2432

Walk4Hearing Premiers Saturday

With less than 24 hours remaining before the first Walk4Hearing event in Chattanooga and Tennessee, excitement continues to build. More than 100 walkers on 19 teams have registered. The walk begins at Chattanooga State Technical Community College, 4501 Amnicola Highway at 10 a.m. and continues along the beautiful Riverwalk. Organizers are expecting upward of 200 or more total walkers.

Walkers may begin checking in at 9 a.m. to enjoy free biscuits provided by Cracker Barrel. Sausage biscuits, juice and coffee will be provided by the local HLAA chapter. Vendor exhibits on display in the main hallway of the Health Fitness Center building will provide information and material of interest to people with hearing loss. The Speech and Hearing Center is offering free hearing screenings. Their mobile screening truck will be located in the parking lot in front of the Omniplex building.

Area residents interested in furthering their education will find representatives from the offices of Disabilities Support Services and Recruiting Services at Chattanooga State ready to answer questions about programs and classes. Nursing students from the registered nursing program will provide free blood pressure checks.

Shortly before 10 a.m., the ceremony to officially open the Walk4Hearing will commence. Following a short address, Carsten Trads, president of Clarity will serve as the ceremonial ribbon-cutter. Clarity, a Division of Plantronics, Inc. is the leading supplier of amplified telephones, notification systems, assistive listening devices and other communications devices for the Hard of Hearing and Deaf communities. Mr. Trads joined Clarity in 2003 as president.

Following the opening ceremony, walkers will be led to the Riverwalk by members of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Knoxville chapter, including retired U.S. Army Capt. Mark Brogan. Capt. Brogan will be sharing his story during the HLAA Convention in Nashville on June 18-21. He was severely injured by a suicide bomber while serving in Iraq. HLAA is committed to assisting returning veterans, many of whom return with severe hearing losses. The HLAA Nashville Chapter will have information available on this annual convention…a “must attend” for hard of hearing persons. Veterans should inquire about low or no cost options to attend this year’s convention and become members of HLAA.

Now at 84 percent of their $25,000 goal, the local Walk4Hearing is nearing the $21,000 mark. Local bronze-level sponsors of the event include Clarity, Walmart, Tennessee CapTel Relay and Chattanooga State. They are joined by supporting sponsors Barnett & Company Investment Counsel; Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc.; Mediating Issues and Friends of HLAA Chattanooga Chapter. Friends level sponsors include Daniels, Riggar & Associates; Joyce Z. Casey, CART Services; Sweat-Band and the David Ingram Family; while kilometer marker donations were made by Chattanooga Chapter of TN Association of the Deaf, Holmes Audiology and Deaf Senior Citizens.

The Walk4Hearing is a national walkathon program organized by Hearing Loss Association of America to raise funds and awareness about hearing loss which affects an estimated 36 million Americans. Saturday’s event is the first Walk4Hearing in Tennessee. For more information locally call 423-894-3138 or log on to www.walk4hearing.org.