Fort Myers, FL (January 26, 2022) - After being off the road for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville based 501c3 charity Songs for Sound in partnership with Phonak, a leading global provider of life-changing hearing solutions, tours through Florida this month to help people have healthy hearing and help those with untreated hearing loss get the help they need.
Headed through Fort Myers, Florida, Songs for Sound is a hearing health charity partner of the fantastic, long-running Fort Myers RV Show. Locals will receive free hearing screenings via a state-of-the-art DIY Otokiosk software which is taken aboard its mobile experience. A Care Team hearing health advocate will also be available to guide anyone needing support with next steps, including identifying coverage in health insurance and making a match with a local hearing care professional.
The tour will also visit retirement communities and mature neighborhoods throughout the state serving residents 55 years of age or older. On Monday, the tour served Del Webb Sunbridge in St. Cloud. The tour calendar can be accessed here with events added daily.
"Hearing loss purpose is deeply personal for me," said Songs for Sound founder and CEO, Jaime Vernon, whose 14-year-old daughter, Lexi, has hearing loss that was restored by cochlear implants. "My deaf child's hearing and speech development was nearly derailed with an initial 'let's wait' reaction. Now, Lexi is an accomplished student-athlete who uses spoken language and can hear a whisper.”
Vernon notes that recent studies show that 65% of seniors have some level of hearing loss. Military veterans are also greatly afflicted with hearing loss, 65% of all-age veterans and 85% of senior-age veterans have some level of hearing loss. "Our mission is to use Lexi’s story to offer hope to everyone suffering with hearing loss, provide free screenings and then allow our Care Team of advocates to meet them wherever they are on their journey and guide them to the care they deserve.”
Songs for Sound has hosted nearly 900 free hearing screening events across the U.S. serving over 30,000 Americans by partnering with over 700 community organizations and events. The organization educates, counsels and builds trusting relationships which is their difference. They teach Americans how to navigate hearing healthcare and empower them to take action. Songs for Sound creates a hearing health profile for each individual and are now building their own care team. The care team will continue to counsel individuals after their hearing needs are met to continue a lifelong partnership in hearing health. Songs for Sound’s difference is love and kindness.
“This initiative aligns perfectly with Phonak’s belief that hearing well is essential to living life to the fullest,” said Sandy Brandmeier, President of Sonova USA, the parent company of Phonak and tour sponsor. “That’s why we’re so proud to once again partner with Songs for Sounds’ Hear the Music Project. Together, we’ll help improve access to hearing screenings and hearing health care in our local communities and beyond.”
“We know undiagnosed hearing loss can advance aging diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia. It can create joblessness and loss of wages. Therefore, we are excited to have Florida’s best organizations become our community partners such as the Fort Myers RV Show and Del Webb communities.”
To learn more about Lexi Vernon’s story and the charity’s mission, visit SongsForSound.org.
About Songs for Sound
Songs for Sound is a Nashville based 501c3 charity created from a compelling story that strives to protect and restore hearing to improve the lives of the 400+ million people suffering from hearing loss. Songs for Sound wants everyone to #HearTheMusic. To learn more about our story and how to donate visit SongsForSound.org.
