Eden Prairie, Minn – In collaboration with ABC television’s "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," the Starkey Hearing Foundation fit over 500 free hearing aids, with a total value of $1.5 million, to students, family members, faculty and alumni from the Oregon School for the Deaf in Salem.
The mission was part of an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition production that will air on Sunday, October 31st.
While contractors and designers constructed a special surprise for the School, the Starkey Hearing Foundation surprised students and faculty members with a one week vacation in the Twin Cities.
During the episode, Students received free hearing aids and enjoyed some of the Twin Cities most popular attractions; a Minnesota Twins game, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Mall of America, Wabasha Street Caves, a Mississippi dinner cruise aboard the Jonathon Padelford , Valley Fair and tours of St. Paul and Fort Snelling were some of the highlights. Members of the OSD Football team were equally thrilled to be greeted at Starkey by Minnesota Vikings players, including Adrian Peterson.
"We always go where we can help and this project seemed perfect," said Bill Austin, of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, in the press announcement. "These are great kids and we knew we could improve hearing for most of them. It also made sense to bring the students to Minnesota where we could address their hearing issues with maximum resources at our disposal in addition to creating a fun adventure for them in the Twin Cities."
Patti Togioka, director of the Oregon School for the Deaf thanked the Foundation in the release, saying "This is a truly amazing group of caring people. The students, alumni, staff and the Oregon Deaf Community are blessed by their generosity and cannot adequately express our deep gratitude."
The episode airs Sunday, October 31st on the ABC network. Check your local listings for your time zone.
SOURCE: Starkey Hearing Foundation
