Friday morning started off with one of the most important events at the HLA convention – the awards ceremony where we honor the thousands of volunteers all across the country in state organizations and chapters who give so generously of their time to further the mission of HLA. Jeannette Kanter, NY, and currently an HLA board member, received the Keystone award that is given to those who contribute significantly to the growth and mission of the organization. The Special Friend Award went to Matthew Bakke, of Gallaudet University for his leadership in the field of research and teaching in hearing technology. Weather is still causing lots of travel delays as Matt found out when he could not get here in time to accept his award. The skies were not so friendly after all. David Branfield got an advocacy award for bringing CapTel to NY state. Sponsors of the awards ceremony and breakfast was Ultratec and Robert Engelke made opening remarks to welcome everyone. Ed Obrien for his website, Illinois Cochlear Implant. He offered to help anyone who wants to set up a website. Nice offer! There were too many awards to mention here but we congratulate all the volunteers and thank them for their hard work and dedication.
Audient, the low cost hearing program, is exhibiting. They now have 700 dispensers in 48 states and are happy with the progress. If you know anyone who needs hearing aids but cannot afford them Audient is an excellent resource. They can be found at
Workshops are in full force now starting with Virgi Mills, a health/fitness instructor, providing guidelines on meal planning, restaurant dining and foods to avoid to promote weight loss – tasty samples were given out; apTel demonstations with tips on how to make the most of your phone whether you have one or two lines; ALDs and how to maximize in noise; listening strategies to use to enhance communication in families; and strategies for stress management.
More later…………………………
1 response so far ↓
Laurie in TN // June 23, 2007 at 5:40 am
Hello! I’m here at the Convention and am enjoying it very much. This is my first time here and am meeting new people and making new friends. The exhibits and seminars are very informative and helpful! Thank you for all you do!