Hearing Loss May/June 2010 - 36

Let’s Hear from the Teams: How Alliance Groups Work
By Ronnie Adler and Rebecca Lander
Since 2006, the Walk4Hearing™ has grown tremendously in the number of walks, teams, volunteers, walkers and donations. In 2008 we started teaming up with “alliance groups” to raise money by participating in a local Walk4Hearing site. An alliance group is an entity such as a non-profit organization, local school, hospital, hearing healthcarerelated group, or house of worship. The purpose of an alliance group agreement is to bring local community groups and organizations together to raise money for and support the cause of the Walk4Hearing. We started this idea as a revenue sharing plan to give other hearing-loss-related groups a financial incentive to join the Walk and use the funds for programs and services for people with hearing loss. Alliance groups have created hearing loss awareness, excitement, positive energy, walkers, and empowerment, as well as funds! HLAA formed 16 alliance groups in 2008. In 2009, we formed 48 alliance groups among various walks. The beauty of the alliance groups is that they benefit by retaining a portion of the total amount of money raised by their team(s) for their own cause in their communities. If you know of any non-profit entity that wants to join us as an alliance group, please contact Ronnie Adler. Ronnie Adler is the national Walk4Hearing manager and can be reached at radler@hearing loss.org.

The Center for Childhood Communication (CCC) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) 2009 Pennsylvania Walk4Hearing
“There was tremendous excitement about the potential to participate as part of the HLAA alliance, especially for the opportunities for the Center to receive a portion of the proceeds they raised, and for patients and their families to meet other children and adults with hearing loss. CHOP’s 70 team members and additional donors raised a grand total of $9,071. The proceeds will help fund CATIPITHLER, CHOP’s Assessment and Treatment Implementation Program for Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss —Enhancing (Re)habilitation. “In addition to services from pediatric audiologists and speechlanguage pathologists, families also have access to a social worker, a mental health counselor, educators, a resource coordinator, and other families and children with hearing loss. These additional services and opportunities are entirely funded by grants and donations!”

for a common goal—awareness of hearing loss! The parents appreciated the adults with hearing loss who took an interest in their children and provided them with much needed role models. Thank you HLAA!”

PA–Clarke School Alliance Group Team

Clarke School for Hearing and Speech 2009 Pennsylvania Walk4Hearing
“HLAA provided us with everything we needed from registration brochures to sponsor kits, to camera-ready artwork. They even came to our school to give a presentation! But the best tool of all was the Walk4Hearing website, where we were able to register our team and upload information about our school. Before we knew it, our current and alumni families were registering as walkers and contacting their friends and family members for donations. The money started rolling

BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc. 2009 North Carolina Walk4Hearing
“What a wonderful opportunity the North Carolina Walk4Hearing provided for parents of children with hearing loss. There were children and adults with hearing loss together
© Cindy Dyer

Rebecca Lander is the Walk4Hearing program assistant and can be reached at rlander@ hearingloss.org.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphpia Alliance Group Team
34 Hearing Loss Magazine

Hearing Loss May/June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hearing Loss May/June 2010