What: This is the 34th annual fundraiser organized by the Grand Rapids Oral Deaf Parent Teacher Organization. This event raises fund to support students, staff, and families enrolled in the Kent ISD Oral Deaf Program. The fundraiser includes a charity golf outing and a raffle that will be held Friday, May 9, 2025 at Quail Ridge Golf Club, Ada, Michigan.
Who are we supporting: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3 in 1,000 babies are born with a hearing impairment. Although a hearing problem can also develop later in life, early detection and intervention are the keys to success. Established in 1899, the Kent ISD Oral Deaf Program (formerly known as the Grand Rapids Oral Deaf Program) has been committed to helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing develop spoken language and literacy through listening. The program is a public school center-based program servicing all of the Kent Intermediate School District. It provides education, guidance, advocacy and support for children birth through 25 years of age and their families infusing auditory-verbal practices. There are 25 students in our center-base program and teacher consultant direct services are provided to over 100 students who are enrolled in their local school districts.
Accreditation/Awards: The Grand Rapids Oral Deaf Program was selected as the National Alexander Graham Bell Association's (AGB) Program of the Year in 1979 and in 1997. The program continues to be among the leaders in oral deaf education and auditory-verbal instruction.
Why: All funds raised go directly back into the program. Contributions, donations, and funds from previous events have made it possible for the Grand Rapids Oral Deaf PTO to provide the Kent ISD Oral Deaf Program with special audiology equipment, funding in order to offer professional development opportunities for staff, funding to provide staff and parents opportunities to attend conferences, funding to provide a music program for the littlest learners, and to cover costs associated with student and family activities, school field trips and much more. Due to budget cuts in education and school funding, your support is more important than ever before.
Support: Individuals who continue to support our charity golf event include educators, parents of children in the program, community philanthropists, school principals, doctors, audiologists, media, and leaders in the community, to name a few. We hope we can count on you for your support this year.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Genes are responsible for hearing loss among 50% to 60% of children with hearing loss. [Read article]
- About 20% of babies with genetic hearing loss have a “syndrome” (for example, Down syndrome or Usher syndrome).
- Infections during pregnancy in the mother, other environmental causes, and complications after birth are responsible for hearing loss among almost 30% of babies with hearing loss. [Read article]
- Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy is a preventable risk factor for hearing loss among children. [Read summary]
- 14% of those exposed to CMV during pregnancy develop sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) of some type.
- About 3% to 5% of those exposed to CMV during pregnancy develop bilateral moderate-to-profound SNHL.
- A 2005 HealthStyles survey by CDC found that only 14% of female respondents had heard of CMV. [Read summary]
- About one in every four children with hearing loss also is born weighing less than 2,500 grams (about 5 1/2 pounds). [Read summary]
