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NYC WALK4HEARING CELEBRATES KICKOFF EVENT
New Yorkers Step Up & Walk for Hearing Loss
Volunteers,
supporters and friends gathered to celebrate the Kickoff
Event for the Hearing Loss Association of America’s (HLAA)
annual New York City Walk4Hearing, which will take place on Sunday,
September 27th in
Riverside Park. Held at Battery Gardens, over 200 guests
enjoyed an evening of refreshments and conversation followed
by presentations to motivate and instruct team leaders,
supporters and walkers. Speakers included: Commissioner
Victor Calise, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities;
Deputy Inspector Dan Carione, NYPD; Lisa Carling, Director
of TDF Accessibility Programs, and Suzanne D’Amico,
Northeast Region Walk4Hearing Coordinator.
New Yorkers supporting the cause include
families, friends, co-workers, students and others impacted
by hearing loss. D’Amico, who has a 13-year-old daughter
with genetic hearing loss, said, “The Kick Off Event was a
great success bringing together our amazing volunteers and
sponsors to celebrate the 10th Anniversary
of the Walk4Hearing program. This year, we hope to reach
our fundraising goal of $175,000.”
Deputy Inspector Dan Carione, NYPD, who damaged his right
ear in a shootout in 1966, shared his comments at the
Kickoff event. He is the first recognized hearing disabled
Police Officer on the NYPD who has been placed back on the
streets in full-duty capacity, after a long battle to regain
his place on the police force. He explained, “The Walk is
an important step, because there is strength in numbers.
But those numbers count for little, if we don’t publicly
show who we are and what we can do. We are invisible no
more.”
Lisa Carling, Director of TDF Accessibility
Programs, an event sponsor, addressed the importance of
raising awareness in the theatre community about better
access for people with hearing loss. She said, “Thanks to
the advocacy of the New York City Chapter, over the past 18
years, there are now more captioned performances on Broadway
than ever before. And today, by persuading more theaters to
install looping systems, Broadway and Off Broadway are even
more accessible. We thank you all for putting a personal
face on the issues surrounding hearing loss.”
New York City sponsors to date include: Metro Sound Pros;
New York Relay; Theatre Development Fund; Total Caption;
Weil Cornell Medical Center; Columbia University Medical
Center; NYU Langone Medical Center; New York Eye and Ear
Infirmary of Mount Sinai; New York-Presbyterian; Joe Gordon;
Mill Neck Family of Organizations; Dr. Paul E. Hammerschlag;
CWA 1180;Children’s Hearing Institute; US Army, and Kantara
Communications.
The New York City Walk4Hearing is one of 21 events happening
across the nation this year. Since its launch 10 years ago,
the Walk4Hearing series has steadily gained momentum by
raising more than $8.6 million, welcoming over 67,000
walkers, and creating partnerships with over 200 alliances.
It is the nation’s largest and fastest growing hearing loss
fundraising and public awareness walk in the country.
Pre-register at www.walk4hearing.org
Same-day registration is also available.
The Walk4Hearing was created by the Hearing Loss Association
of America (HLAA) to raise awareness about hearing loss as a
public health issue and to eradicate the stigma associated
with it. HLAA is the nation’s leading consumer membership
and advocacy group for the 48 million Americans challenged
by hearing loss. Funds raised by the Walks in major cities
support educational programs and services, critical national
and local advocacy work. For more information, visit
www.hearingloss.org
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