Marlee Matlin Supports "So the World May Hear"

Marlee Matlin, the famously well known Deaf actress in Hollywood, supports the Starkey Hearing Foundation's philanthropy and mission "So the World May Hear." In her June 8, 2008 MySpace blog she exclaimed:

Then Fabian and I will jet up to Minneapolis for the annual "So the World May Hear" benefit that raises much needed funds and sponsors missions (like one you saw on DWTS) to remote parts of the world and help give poor children the gift of hearing. This year they're honoring Billy Jean King and I've heard there's a very special surprise musical guest performing, though I know who it is. It's going to knock the audience's socks off!

Marlee Matlin appears in the October 2008 "So the World May Hear" newsletter. On page 5 of the newsletter Marlee Matlin can be seen with in a group picture (see below) with St. Louis Cardinals’ Mascot, Bill Austin, Boys & Girls Clubs of America President Roxanne Spillett, MLB Legends Fred Lynn, Gaylord Perry, George Brett, Rollie Fingers, Robin Roberts and MLB President and COO Bob DuPuy standing in the back while kneeling in the foreground are Marlee Matlin, Debbie Wright, Reebok Representative Joe Van Buskirk, Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation Director Cindy Picerni and Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mascot.




Below is another picture from Audiology Online of Marlee Matlin and her interpreter in a dance pose along with Bill and Tani Austin at the 2008 gala "So the World May Hear."






During Marlee Matlin's debut on "Dancing with the Stars" last year she wore her Starkey hearing aids.

First, many persons with profound hearing loss can still benefit from the use of quality hearing aids. Marlee wears hearing aids manufactured by Starkeys Labs which contain their proprietary BluWave’ signal processing technology.

In addition, Marlee felt the concussive pulsing beat from the lowest frequencies. The bass guitar and bass drum deliver waves through the floor, the walls and allowed Marlee to feel the rhythm of the music. Hey, your entire body is one big tuning fork!

Finally, Marlee relied on her dance partner, Fabian Sanchez, to keep the moves on track and in synch. Hes my music, Marlee proclaimed. The couple modified some of the moves so Marlee could maintain physical or eye contact with Fabian more frequently, though she had no trouble cha-cha-chaing her way across the stage, engaged in complex dance steps that were eye-popping.

Lou Ferrigno, Marlee Matlin and many other well known celebrities also attended again for the 2009 gala "So the World May Hear" held in July. They can be seen here in a collage of pictures of stars posing with Bill Austin, the guy who made it all possible the philanthropy and mission to provide hearing aids to rural areas, to underprivledged people, and those in 3rd world or poor countries. Marlee Matlin has attended previous "So the World May Hear" galas in the past for several years.

This philanthropy and mission continue to grow in terms of monies donated and the growing support to make this work a smashing success. After all, hearing is a gift and can be seen in the faces of thousands through pictures and videos of those who received their hearing aids. In 2007, for example, they were able to raise $4.5 million dollars. That's alot of hearing aids to distribute and support.

With the help of dozens of well-known and highly respected celebrities, including Jim Belushi, Lou Ferrigno, Glenn Frey, Goldie Hawn, Jay Leno, Kenny Loggins, Marlee Matlin, Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Rooney, Kevin Sorbo, Robert Wagner, and many others, the Starkey Hearing Foundation raised a record $4.5 million at its annual "So the World May Hear" Awards Gala, which was held on Saturday, June 23 in St. Paul, Minn.

"For the seventh year in a row we had tremendous support from our friends all over the world who helped us raise an amazing $4.5 million to further our mission of promoting hearing health awareness and helping the world to hear," said William F. Austin, founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. "I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who was a part of this year's Gala and who, through their generosity of time and money, helped make the world a better place for so many children."

The Starkey Hearing Foundation is known for donating hearing aids to underprivileged children both here in the United States and in countries all over the globe. Thanks to funds raised during this annual event, the Foundation has been able to donate an estimated 200,000 hearing aids in the past seven years alone in an effort to give the gift of hearing to those in need.

In the 2008 gala they raised $5 million dollars and this year's gala they raised just as much. And so far they have distributed over 440,000 hearing aids around the world and many more into the future. It won't be long til the Starkey Foundation reaches the millionth hearing aid mark.

The gift of hearing? Priceless.

So the world may hear...

Here are two organizations that provide hearing aids to the needy and poor around the world including children.

One is called "So the World May Hear" organization by the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Well known celebrities like Heather Whitestone and Lou Ferrigno support this mission. Plus many, many more well known celebrities that have attended the annual "So the World May Hear" award gala with the recent gala on July 12, 2009.

Elton John, Billy Crystal, Tony Bennett and Gladys Knight Headline at Ninth Annual So the World May Hear Awards Gala.

What an incredible line-up of stars, and what a magnificent evening of entertainment, celebration and generosity. The kind of generosity that is simply unprecedented. The kind of generosity that is born of passion and commitment. “The kind of generosity that will allow us to open the world as we know it—a world of music, laughter, language, and love—to kids all over the world by giving them the gift of hearing,” said William F. Austin, founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made our 2009 Gala a success.”

The evening featured the comedy of Billy Crystal as well as performances by Gladys Knight, Tony Bennett and Ethan Bortnick. After saluting Bill and Tani Austin as two of the most important people in his life, Elton John capped off the evening with a touching and memorable one-hour performance that included such hits as “Rocket Man,” “Your Song,” “Daniel,” and “Circle of Life.” The inspirational evening would not have been complete without the recognition of four individuals and one corporation for their significant contributions to humanity. This year’s award recipients included comedian Norm Crosby, the 1961 New York Yankees, Minnesota philanthropists and business leaders Marilyn and Dr. Glen Nelson, and Rayovac, a long-time supporter of Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Additional celebrity guests who attended this year’s Gala included performers JC Chasez and Sam Moore; actors Lou Ferrigno, Verne Troyer and Robert Culp; TV personalities Alan Kalter and Paige Hemmis; astronaut Buzz Aldrin; golf legend Arnold Palmer; 1961 Yankees teammates Moose Skowron, Whitey Ford, Ralph Terry, and Bob Turley as well as Mickey Mantle’s son David Mantle; Southern Methodist University head football coach June Jones; songwriter Paul Williams; comedian Norm Crosby; and many others. In addition, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman, University of Minnesota head basketball coach Tubby Smith, Marilyn and Dr. Glen Nelson, and several Minnesota Vikings players.

The other organization that benefits directly the children around the world is called "Hearing Angel." So far to date they have outfitted over 340,000 hearing aids to children around the world and saw miles of smiles as a result. One girl even expressed her gratitude to be able to hear sound again to the people who gave and outfitted her new hearing aid.

Please visit these two sites and learn what you can do for those who can use the joy of sound in their lives. The man, William Austin, who started the Starkey Hearing Foundation, read his story on how it all started.