On
Thursday last, in Los Angeles, The Starkey Hearing Foundation honored
Lou (the Hulk) Ferrigno,
the Pat Boone Famiy, Marion (Happy
Days) Ross and screen legend Ernest
Borgnine at the first “So the World May Hear”
Awards Gala held in Los Angeles at the Century Plaza. The evening
benefited the foudation’s worldwide missions to “fix
the broken ears” of the underprivileged, especially children,
and Ryan’s Reach, a foundation recently created by the Pat
Boone family to enable young people with severe brain injuries like
Ryan Corbin (Pat’s grandson) to receive rehabilitation
even after their insurance runs out.
“Ryan Corbin’s extraordinary progress since his accident
is a message of faith for all of us,” said Starkey Hearing
Foundation founder William Austin. “His family
and our other celebrated honorees at the Gala are inspiring role
models of generosity towards those less fortunate.”
 |
Tom
Bosley with Ernest and Nancy Borgnine |
|
Sean
Penn presented to Oscar-winning legend Borgnine, Stan
Lee presented Ferrigno with his award. Larry King
presented to the Boone Family and Tom Bosley
presented to Marion Ross. Marlee Matlin,
a former honoree, introduced the evening in American Sign Language.
Headliners for the Gala included Glenn Campbell, Debby Boone,
Sam Moore, Nita Whitaker and Davis Gaines.
Among those on the Benefit Committee were Jeff Bridges,
Eric McCormack, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Debbie Reynolds, Linda
Gray, Ruta Lee, Dom deLouise, Connie Stevens, Phyllis Diller, Ann
Miller and Pat Boone. Special friends
of the Starkey Hearing Foundation at the Gala included: Buzz
Aldrin, Red Buttons, Esther Williams, Jane Russell, Stella Stevens,
Stephanie Powers, Richard Dean Anderson, Abby Dalton, Terry Moore,
Hugh O’Brian, Ron Masak, Bernie Kopell, Carol Connors and
Shawn King.
William F. Austin has built Starkey Laboratories into the world’s
leading manufacturer of custom hearing instruments with facilities
in 18 countries. He established the Starkey Hearing Foundation thirty
years ago with the mission to promote hearing health awareness,
provide hearing aids to needy persons and support research and education
in hearing. The Foundation is ranked amongst the top charitable
organizations in the world with one of the highest ratios of monies
going directly to beneficiaries. “Our reward,” Austin
says, “is in the faces and smiles of each person as we help
them hear again.”
For more information on the organization, go to: www.sotheworldmayhear.org. |
