CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — Hearing loss is an often-overlooked disability of Americans who have served in the military, even though nearly 30% of veterans return home from active duty with diminished hearing. Now Clarity, a division of Plantronics Inc, and The EAR Foundation, Nashville, Tenn, a national non-profit organization devoted to education, prevention and treatment of hearing loss, are calling on the country music industry to help bring attention to this important issue and to raise money for disabled veterans.

Country music artists were asked to help the cause by autographing a donated Takamine guitar at the Academy of Country Music Awards event May 15. The guitar will then be displayed as a traveling exhibit at 21 Disabled American Veterans (DAV) air shows throughout the summer in order to raise funds to support the DAV’s service and outreach for veterans.

Several prominent music artists agreed to sign the guitar before the ACM Awards. ACM Award winners Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry were the first to donate their signatures for the DAV.

“Giving our autographs is the least we can do to help our veterans,” says Gentry. “When our men and women in uniform are asked to protect our country, they don’t think twice. So if the DAV needs our signature on a guitar, consider it done. Country music has a strong tradition of supporting our troops and I hope every artist follows our lead.”

Clarity and The EAR Foundation are not new to the ACM Awards. The two organizations have attended the past three years, raising awareness of hearing loss issues and donating products to help musicians who suffer from noise induced hearing loss (NIHL).

“Our goal as a company is to provide solutions that improve a person’s quality of life,” says Chris Dutton of Clarity. “It is our hope that we, along with some of country music’s greatest artists, will be able to help The EAR Foundation and DAV raise awareness and funds to help improve the lives of those they serve.”

“In past years, we wanted to use the ACM Awards platform to emphasize the dangers loud music and other noises pose to one's hearing,” says Suzanne Wyatt, executive director of The EAR Foundation. “While we’ll still accomplish that goal this year, we have the deeper mission of raising awareness of our soldiers’ hearing health. They take care of us in so many ways, and we to need to make taking care of them a top priority.”

“Country music has a legacy of support for America’s veterans and their families,” says Arthur H. Wilson, national adjutant for DAV. “And hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities that veterans experience. We’re grateful to Clarity and The EAR Foundation for reaching out to our organization and for recognizing the sacrifices veterans have made for our country. We know this effort will help raise funds to support our veterans. The support of country music artists will undoubtedly help us encourage people to get involved in programs that support disabled veterans and their families.”

SOURCE: Clarity