Rotary Centennial creates a legacy to hearing

>> FOR A COMMON PROBLEM AND AILMENT IN OUR SOCIETY - HEARING LOSS AND HEARING IMPAIRMENT DOESN’T ALWAYS GET THE TOP NEWS BILLING

The Rotary Club of Vancouver chose to have a focus on hearing some 30 years ago and has supported research and aid to reduce its impact ever since.

The RHF Hearing Foundation was established in 1987 and through its annual Bike- A- Thon has raised over $ 2.3 million to support the deaf and hard of hearing in BC. This fundraising bike ride goes every July ( this year Sunday, July 14) and cyclists ride some 120km from Burnaby to Harrison Hot Springs.

During the early years virtually all funds were used to support the cochlear implant research work of Dr. Dietrich Schwartz at the UBC Hospital in what became known as the “Rotary Hearing Centre”. Cochlear implants have since made it possible to bring the sounds of life to the deaf, making a major impact to their lives. Who could ever forget the image of Janelle Milne at age 2 when she heard sound for the first time at age 2 when her new implant was turned on ( photo).

In 1988 a major contribution, together with the estate of the late Syd Welsh, was made to the UBC School of Medicine to establish “The Rotary Club of Vancouver Syd Welsh Endowment Fund” in support of the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. This was followed up In 1998, with another major donation of $ 135,000 to establish “The Rotary Hearing Clinic” at St. Paul’s Hospital under the direction of Dr. Graham Bryce in support of his Tinnitus program.

In 2003 RHF made a major donation of $ 80,000 to establish, together with Pacific Otolaryngology Foundation and UBC, a perpetual professorship to fund the salary of Dietrich’s successor. The work continued, when in 2005 RHF made a matching grant of $ 137,000 to remodel and reequip the Rotary Hearing Clinic at St. Paul’s

This year, the Rotary Club of Vancouver and the RHF Hearing Foundation are participating in a Legacy Project in celebration of the Club’s 100th Anniversary. A $ 250,000 matching grant has been made to St. Paul’s Hospital to expand the Rotary Hearing Clinic with the addition of a new Sound Booth, Operating Room Equipment for Ear Surgery and new Diagnostic Tools in the treatment of hearing loss. In addition, the Club and RHF have made a donation of $ 132,700 to UBC’s School of Audiology and Speech Sciences to equip its Clinical Speech Laboratory with much needed teaching equipment.

Together, Rotary helps bring the sounds of life to those who suffer.

Hearing loss and hearing impairment doesn’t always get the top news billing compared to other challenges we have, yet it is a common problem and ailment in our society - and getting worse.