Hike and “Hearing Showcase” Attracts Over 200 In Highland Park

Last Saturday’s 3rd Annual Hike For Better Hearing attracted hundreds of Chicagoans to Larry Fink Memorial Park in Highland Park.

The sunny bustling fun-filled event raised funds for the Fisher Foundation For Hearing Health Care to provide free hearing treatment, hearing aids, high-tech ear plugs, and education for the community.

“This year,” says founder Dr. Ronna Fisher Au.D. “we also had a world’s first: the international leaders in hearing aid technology agreed to show their latest technology to the public side-by-side.” Hike participants were able to sample devices produced by major manufacturers Phonak, Siemens, Oticon, and Widex. In addition Starkey Corporation donated $2,500 for the event. A Highland Park resident, Dr. Fisher is the founder of The Hearing Health Center with locations in Highland Park, Chicago, Oak Brook, and Naperville.

One highlight of the event was the appearance of ten-year-old Brannon Moran. The Glenview fifth-grader lost his hearing as a result of his chemotherapy for a brain cancer. However, thanks to the Fisher Foundation, he was fitted with free state-of-the-art hearing aids that have enabled him to stay and school and stay connected to his family. Brannon looked great and has advanced to sixth grade with the rest of his class. His mother, Kristin, told the crowd, “We couldn’t be more grateful for everything the Fisher Foundation has done.”

The Fisher Foundation For Hearing Health Care also educates the community about the largely hidden epidemic of hearing problems.

Studies show that every other person over age 50 has a significant problem understanding clearly, especially in noisy surroundings and at a distance. The problem is severe enough to interfering with work and their relationships with their friends and family.

Dr. Fisher says, “People associate hearing devices with getting older, yet ironically studies show they reduce your odds of dementia five-fold and your odds of falling and breaking a hip three-fold. Hearing aids can also help prevent depression, heart disease, strokes and many other problems the public mistakenly considers the inevitable results of “old age.’

The Fisher Foundation For Hearing Health is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization. For more information please call 847-681-7000 or visit www.fisherfoundationforhearing.org.