Caldwell Rotarians welcomed by Rotary in Staten Island

Dianne Woitkowski and Sam Kent accompanied Dr. David Gurian for a Help The Children Hear (HTCH) presentation to the Mid-Island Rotary Club in Staten Island. The presentation was well received by Marguerite Fiore (club vice-president) and the entire club. The club expressed interest in getting involved in the project.

Dianne and Marguerite exchanged club banners during the visit, a Rotary tradition.

HTCH began about 12-years ago after Amanda Abbiate returned from a Rotary trip to Argentina. After returning home, Amanda told her mother Katherine, who was an active Rotarian, about a serious hearing disability affecting children in Tucuman, Argentina.

David learned about the problem and eagerly volunteered his expertise and knowledge in the audiology field. He and Katherine launched HTCH as a 501c3 charitable organization. Under their direction, HTCH sponsored missions and has supplied hearing aids to children in countries such as Argentina and the Dominican Republic.

David took control of HTCH after the unfortunate passing of Kathe-rine several years ago. Since then, David almost singlehandedly con-tinues to run and expand the program, which is an official District 7470 project. David routinely receives hearing aids and donations from around the world. HTCH recently received a grant from the Ro-tary Foundation that will bring hearing aids to children in the Philip-pines.

HTCH is a remarkable and inspirational example of how each of us has the ability to improve the lives of people around the globe.

Thanks and congratulations to David and others who contribute to the success of HTCH.

Tom Cocchiola

President

Rotary Club of the Caldwells

Will you help the children hear? by Diane Lilli, The Jersey Tomato Press

Will you Help the Children Hear?

Local Doctor David Gurian recently spoke in New York about his work with the not-for-profit cause “Help the Children Hear”.
Gurian, whose office is in West Caldwell, is an expert on hearing loss and the director of “Help the Children Hear”.

After joining his local Rotary Club in the Caldwells, he decided to help give back more than just money or time to others - hearing.
Now, this organization sanctioned by the Rotary Club International, brings hearing aids to children in numerous countries in South America, and also the Philippines and the Dominican Republic.
Gurian reconditions used hearing aids that are sent to needy children.
Hearing loss is often undiagnosed - and common. Click here to read a previous article “A Loss for Words: Do You Have Hearing Loss?” from 10/20/10.

If you would like to help out this cause, contact Dr. Gurian at davegur@aol.com.
Here is the information from the “Help the Children Hear” website.

"Help the Children Hear Inc." a Rotary International Foundation project established, designed, and created by Rotarians. This humanitarian effort is a result of relationships bonded from the Rotary Youth Exchange program and serves as an example of the Rotary network combining the resources to make a difference. The Rotary Club of Tucuman Sur, Argentina, The Blairstown Rotary Club, Blairstown, NJ, USA, and The Rotary Club of the Caldwells, Caldwell, NJ, USA had initiated a joint project to address the lower income hearing impaired children of Tucuman Province through a Rotary International matching grant. This project has now become a tax exempt 501 (c)(3) corporation.

Objectives
Address the hearing needs of children and others around the world.
Provide the resources to continue to aid lower income hearing impaired children.
Give hope and support to all hearing impaired children around the world.
Encourage the mainstreaming of hearing impaired children into the hearing world.
The immediate objective is to treat this physical deficiency at an early developmental stage, enabling these children to fulfill a vital, effective role in their country's future. Without intervention, they have little hope because hearing is vital for the normal learning process and full integration into a productive society. These hearing devices will equip them with the tools required for such growth. With the opportunity made available by our joint effort, these children will have a real chance to stop a cycle of illiteracy and poverty.

Strategy
Address the problem at its most basic level
Determine what must be done immediately
Fill the need as soon as possible
Develop an on-going supply of hearing products (hearing aids, batteries and service)
Collect and Recycle old hearing aids
Send Us Your Unused Hearing Aids
Collect old, used and unused hearing aids (regardless of size, condition or age).

Send these aids to:Help The Children Hear ?PO Box 98 ?Caldwell, NJ, 07006??Or directly to:Help The Children Hear, Inc. ,c/o Starkey Laboratories, Inc. ?PO Box 9457 ?Minneapolis, MN 55440 (note: account #Z3678)
Credit will be placed into the Help The Children Hear Inc. account.
As credit of $50 is reached, we will be able to purchase 1 new reconditioned hearing aid for a child in need.
This will be bolstered with cash donations from other organizations, corporations and individuals worldwide.

Your assistance and desire to share in this dream can make it a reality. Please help by collecting old hearing aids and set up hearing aid drops in your communities, companies and places of public access. When submitting donations of any kind for Help The Children Hear Inc., please identify the name, corporation, civic organization, in celebration of or in whose memory. This will be noted in a tax-exempt thank you letter.

Talent Showcase will give children the Gift of Life

Tickets on sale now at www.giftoflifetalentshowcase.eventbrite.com

Saturday, May 7, promises to be very special. The evening will provide an opportunity for members of our community to help save the lives of approximately 25 children and to have a lot of fun doing so.

The Rotary and Interact Clubs of the Caldwells have joined forces with a group of talented local performing artists to produce The Gift of Life Talent Showcase at James Caldwell High School’s Center for Performing Arts. All money raised from this showcase will be used to sponsor a pediatric cardiology medical mission that will provide surgeries to children with life-threatening heart defects who would otherwise have no access to the medical care they need to survive. The surgical team will also provide training to local physicians so that some cardiac procedures will be available to children who need them after the mission has ended.

The Gift of Life program, made possible through the fundraising efforts of Rotary clubs worldwide, is credited with saving almost 12,000 children’s lives since its inception in 1974. In 2007, The Rotary Club of the Caldwells sponsored a mission to the Dominican Republic during which surgeons performed 18 successful cardiac procedures. The club has also sponsored children to come to the United States for surgery. These experiences have inspired club members to raise even more money for a larger mission. Rotary and Interact hope to raise $40,000.

“We have a fabulous group of performers donating their time for this event,” said Director and Rotarian Penny Potenz Winship. “It will be a great show!” The program includes a wide range of performances by classical, popular, gospel and rock musicians, as well as dance, magic and a few surprises mixed in. All Rotarians, Interact and community members working on the showcase are volunteering their time and talent so that all proceeds can go toward the mission.

Advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended, but remaining tickets will be available at the door beginning at 6pm on May 7. The show will begin promptly at 7. Tickets are $10 and $7 for students. Children 5 or under will be admitted free of charge, but must have a ticket. Purchase tickets on line today at www.giftoflifetalentshowcase.eventbrite.com. Those wishing to make a tax deductible donation to support this Gift of Life mission may also do so at this website or by mailing a check payable to Rotary Club of the Caldwells/GoL, PO Box 98 Caldwell, NJ 07006. Every dollar will help!

Businesses or organizations wishing to help make this surgical mission possible may do so by becoming sponsors or by purchasing an ad in The Showcase Journal. Please contact Dianne Woitkowski at 973-896-7236 or Christy Berg at 973-600-9607 for additional information.

To learn more about The Rotary Club of the Caldwells and its commitment to service both locally and internationally, please visit http://www.caldwellrotary.org. To inquire about membership, please call President Tom Cocchiola at 973-226-2344.