The 14th Annual Starkey Hearing Gala was held in St Paul MN on Sunday July 20th. Local Residents Pat and Joe Manhart were there with their daughter Tani Austin and her husband Bill Austin, Founders of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Bill Austin is the CEO and Founder of Starkey Hearing Technologies. Bill Austin has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
This is the 14th annual So The World May Hear Gala. This year honorary speaker was former Secretary of State and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton. Clinton presented Archbishop Desmond Tutu with the 2014 honoree award for his Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. Tutu is regarded as an elder world statesman and leading moral voice.
Forest Whitaker was a 2014 honoree for the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative. Other honorees were Humanitarian Sandi Young, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho who founded Sentebale and four members of The Parents Circle-Families Forum. Master of Ceremonies was our own local Norm Crosby. Entertainers were John Legend, Lee Greenwood, Rob Thomas, Jessica Sanchez and Sammy Hagar.
Dozens of sports celebrities from the MLB, NBA and NFL from teams around the U.S. came to support this cause. NaVorro Bowman, Tyrone Carter, Chris Dollman, Carl Eller, Too Tall Jones, Adrian Peterson, Dave Winfield to name a few. Many celebrities also walked the Red Carpet to raise awareness for this effort. Actors Patrick Warburton, Verne Troyer <Mini-Me>, Quinton Aaron and James Denton were a few among this group that also included a Senator, Mayor, Heads of State and other leaders in the country.
The Starkey Hearing Foundation uses hearing to improve the lives of young and old in need around the world. They have held missions in over 100 countries and give 100,000 hearing aids away each year. The Foundations goal is to donate one million hearing aids this decade. Bill and Tani Austin founded this organization with the help of donors, sponsors, partners and many volunteers to accomplish this goal.
