This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Supporters and Special Guests Gather in Celebration of Upcoming Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing

CEO of ENT Allergy and Associates honored; Jacob’s Ride and Greenburgh Library receive 
donations from 2013 walk proceeds

This past Sunday, the Westchester Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) hosted a kickoff party at ArtsWestchester in White Plains in preparation for the May 17 Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing. The invitation-only kickoff event honored Robert Glazer, CEO of ENT and Allergy Associates, as 2014 Health Hero of the Year, and featured WCBS-TV sportscaster Otis Livingston as emcee. 

More than 120 supporters, volunteers and donors attended the kickoff event to share stories and hear from special guest speakers surrounded by the unique “HATtitude” exhibit on display at ArtsWestchester, featuring more than 150 hats from 40 contemporary milliners and private collections.

Emcee Otis Livingston captivated the crowd by sharing personal stories of his son and daughter’s experiences with hearing loss. “I remember the smiles on their faces when they each received their first pair of hearing aids,” Livingston said. “It’s important for me to be here today to help raise awareness of hearing loss and help eradicate the stigma associated with it.”

Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Robert Glazer, CEO of ENT and Allergy Associates, later accepted the award for 2014 Health Hero of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the local and medical communities. Glazer, with more than 35 years of healthcare administrative experience, has overseen ENT and Allergy Associates’ growth from eight clinical sites and 12 physicians to 40 offices and more than 150 clinicians.

“I’ve seen so many miraculous things in my years working in healthcare, especially in the field of hearing loss,” Glazer said. “At ENT and Allergy Associates, it is our privilege to provide solutions to patients so that they can feel whole again. The volunteers and supporters in this room are truly the ones to be honored today.” 

Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jacob Landis, a college student and cochlear implant recipient, made his grand entrance into the Grand Banking Room, walking onto the stage with his bicycle that was ridden nearly 11,000 miles across the U.S. in 2013, a journey that became known as “Jacob’s Ride.” Last year, Landis stopped at all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums to raise funds for pediatric cochlear implants. “People with hearing loss have to work harder than most, but it doesn’t have to limit our dreams or goals,” Landis said. “Identify what you want to do in life and you can do it.” The Westchester Chapter of HLAA presented Landis a check for $600 toward his cause.

Cory Deitchman, assistant to the director of the Greenburgh Public Library, also thanked the Westchester Chapter of HLAA for its generous funding of a permanent looping system, which cost nearly $5,000. The loop, which was installed in late March, enables people with hearing loss to listen to meetings, concerts, and lectures at the library that require PA systems. The installation of the looping system was funded by proceeds from the 2013 Walk4Hearing.

Team captains from CRM Audiology, the top fundraising team from the 2013 Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing, and Suzanne D’Amico, Northeast Region Walk4Hearing Coordinator, also generated excitement with speeches about the upcoming walk.

The Westchester/Rockland Walk4Hearing, scheduled for May 17 at FDR State Park in Yorktown Heights, NY, is one of 21 coordinated walks around the country sponsored by the Hearing Loss Association of America. The 5K Walk4Hearing, beginning at 11 a.m., supports Jacob's Ride and other programs and services that raise awareness and support for the 48 million Americans with hearing loss.

Registration is available online at www.walk4hearing.org. To volunteer, contribute, or find out more about sponsorships, please contact co-chair Steve Wolfert at 914-960-4692 or swolfert@optonline.net.  Current sponsors include Phonak Hearing Systems and Oticon.

About Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA):

HLAA, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, has more than 200 chapters throughout the nation and is the voice for people with hearing loss. Founded in 1979 by Howard E. “Rocky” Stone as Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH), HLAA is the nation’s largest consumer advocacy organization of its kind. HLAA publishes the bimonthly Hearing Loss Magazine, holds annual conventions, and hosts online learning with the Hearing Loss Academy. For more information about HLAA go to www.hearingloss.org

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?