University of Cincinnati Raises Funds for Annual Mission Trip

This summer, the University of Cincinnati (UC) chapter of SAA held its annual fundraiser: the 5k for Better Hearing. Over 100 runners participated, and it was our most successful 5k to date! We surpassed our fundraising goal by 300%. With a live raffle, advocacy table, and an audiology-themed photobooth, the participants and their families had a blast supporting our audiology graduate students! This event is paramount to the chapter, as the money raised helps cover the cost of travel, lodging, and resources needed to accomplish mission trips throughout the year.

One of these incredible opportunities is our annual mission trip to Cancun, Mexico. The UC sends several students from audiology, physical therapy, and medical laboratory sciences to provide health services to this otherwise underserved population. In May 2018, professor Dr. Brian Earl and three UC audiology students collaborated with this interdisciplinary team to provide healthcare to these individuals in Mexico. The audiology students provided full hearing screenings, audiologic assessments, and hearing aid checks. By the end of the trip, 213 individuals were tested, and 24 individuals were fitted with new hearing aids. This trip marks the 5th year that the UC graduate students partnered with the Palace Foundation to serve the local community in Cancun. We look forward to using our successes from our fundraising efforts to be able to provide more devices and services to this population!