Starkey Hearing Foundation Partnered With GRAMMY Foundation(R) and MusiCares(R) by Bringing the Gift of Hearing and Closed-Captioning to the GRAMMYS

Starkey Hearing Foundation Partnered With GRAMMY Foundation(R) and MusiCares(R) by Bringing the Gift of Hearing and Closed-Captioning to the GRAMMYS

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Starkey Hearing Foundation ("SHF") has proudly announced that its partnership with the GRAMMY Foundation(R) and MusiCares(R) continued with SHF sponsoring the Media Access Group's closed-captioning of THE 50TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS, Sunday, Feb. 10 on the CBS Television Network. Starkey Hearing Foundation is a proud partner of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070613/AQW096LOGO )

"As a person who has had hearing issues for decades, to be able to enjoy the GRAMMYS with closed-captioning was a remarkable experience," said Lou Ferrigno. "90% of deaf and hard-of-hearing people live with family and friends who can hear and with closed-captioning, everyone was able to watch the GRAMMYS together. Thanks to the Starkey Hearing Foundation for making this happen."

"Music is such an important part of our culture; it connects us to special moments in our life and people who share these moments," said Debbie Wright, Executive Director of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. "This is why the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares -- the two charities of the Recording Academy(R) -- are natural partners. Your ability to hear music is what affects your experience. The Foundations all care for music and its makers and their legacy, as well as the next generation of music professionals."

Starkey Hearing Foundation's team joined GRAMMY Career Day at USC (2/7) during GRAMMY Week. While music professionals educated high school students about careers available in music and guidance on how to prepare for them, the Starkey Hearing Foundation donated approximately 300 hearing instruments with a retail value of over $900,000, to an estimated 150 local LA area children with hearing loss so that they can HEAR the MUSIC! Additionally, in an effort to promote hearing conservation with music professionals, Starkey provided Personal Audio Monitors and musician filtered ear plugs to performing artists in attendance supporting GRAMMY Career Day.

About Starkey Hearing Foundation (SHF)

Since 1973, Starkey has been giving the gift of hearing to the world's underprivileged -- especially children -- through its internationally recognized mission program and its domestic program, Hear Now. Our mission is to promote hearing health awareness and education; provide hearing instruments and personal listening devices to people in need; and to support and conduct research and education in hearing breakthroughs and technologies. In late 2007, SHF launched the Sound Affects media campaign with public service announcements to educate consumers about responsible listening. Spanning the past 12 months, the Foundation has provided more than 50,000 hearing instruments both domestically and abroad. Since 2000, more than 240,000 hearing instruments have been distributed to persons in need worldwide. Please visit www.sotheworldmayhear.org to learn more.

About The Media Access Group (MAG)

The Media Access Group at WGBH (MAG) is a non-profit agency that produces captions live, in real time. MAG produces captions for both taped and live programs that air on PBS, NBC, CBS, FOX and many cable stations.

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Photo:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070613/AQW096LOGO
Source: Starkey Hearing Foundation

CONTACT: Caroline L. Lemelin of Starkey Hearing Foundation,
+1-866-354-3254, caroline_lemelin@starkey.com; Warren Cowan,
Wcowan2000@aol.com, or Richard Hoffman, rhoffman@wcpr.net, both of Warren
Cowan & Associates, +1-310-275-0777

Web Site:

http://www.sotheworldmayhear.org/

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