We did it! We exceeded our #MillionEar Challenge 2018 goal, reaching more than 1 million ears in just 31 days. Many thanks to all who joined the cause! Your participation will impact the ears you care about through the Hearing Health Foundation's Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program.
The challenge was to bring hearing health awareness to more than 1 million people during the month of May—Better Hearing and Speech Month—with our annual #MillionEar Challenge and all-new "See Sound Differently" video, and we're excited to report we did just that!
A total of 100,346 people took the challenge in helping us inform a million ears about the importance of hearing health.
To all those who participated, thank you! You wore your #MillionEar Challenge t-shirts proudly. You changed your social media profile photo to support the cause. You watched the "See Sound Differently" video over 44,000 times and shared it with your networks. You encouraged your friends and family to take the free online hearing health assessment. For an entire month, you so selflessly dedicated yourselves to helping others realize the impact of hearing loss in hopes of preventing it from becoming a worldwide epidemic in the years to come.
Through the power of technology and social media, your efforts helped us reach well over one million people!
Here's the best part: Cochlear will contribute $30,000 to the Hearing Health Foundation's Emerging Research Grants (ERG) program, and thanks to your generosity, we are able to donate additional proceeds through #MillionEar Challenge t-shirt sales. The ERG program annually awards grants to up-and-coming scientists who research under-funded and under-researched hearing disorders. For 60 years, the ERG program has helped propel innovative research and the careers of tomorrow's hearing health innovators.
"Awareness is at the heart of Hearing Health Foundation's efforts to prevent, treat, and cure hearing loss. I am deeply grateful Cochlear is committed to raising awareness of hearing loss, which will inspire more to pursue hearing tests and life-changing treatments," said Nadine Dehgan, Chief Executive Officer, Hearing Health Foundation.
This year, we focused our #MillionEar Challenge message around prevention of noise-induced hearing loss, which is more widespread than you might think. In fact, more than 1 billion young people (12-35 years) are at risk of hearing loss due to recreational exposure to loud sounds.1 Through the "See Sound Differently" video, we wanted people to learn the about everyday sounds that can hurt hearing and to understand that even minimal exposure to certain noises can lead to hearing loss.
Want to monitor the noise levels in your everyday life? Download a free smartphone app that will act as your own personal sound meter.
What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? [Internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; c2017 [cited 13 March 2018]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/what_noises_cause_hearing_loss.html.
Noise pollution. Learn how to protect your ears! [Internet]. Hearing Loss Association of America; c2018 [cited 13 March 2018]. Available from: https://hearingloss.org/hearing-help/hearing-loss-basics/prevention/.
Ambient noise. The background noise of the sea. [Internet]. United States Naval Academy; c2018 [cited 13 March 20180. Available from: https://www.usna.edu/Users/physics/ejtuchol/documents/SP411/Chapter11.pdf.
Cochlear Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award presented to dynamic husband and wife duo.