When I was asked to raise funds for CFS&H as a contestant in the Mr. Central Florida 2022 campaign, I was already familiar with the organization and its mission.
Indeed, this organization has touched the lives of many people in my life. My mother was an ESE educator and facilitator with Polk County Public Schools for her entire career. She was also passionately involved as a Special Olympics coach. For years, I attended every Special Olympics event in the area, and I eventually became a coach myself. Many of my mother’s students, and my athletes, received services throughout their lives at CFS&H. My family got to witness firsthand the impact that holistic speech and hearing care can have on quality of life.
When I started dating my wife Tiana, I didn’t think it was just a coincidence that our marriage put her family and mine together. Tiana’s younger sister Athena was born with cerebral palsy and profound hearing loss, and she received her first pair of hearing aids at the age of 5 from CFS&H, and continued to receive services throughout her life, even as recently as this month (October). Bringing things full circle, as a child, Athena had been a student in mom’s classroom, and I remember her well from years of running into each other at Special Olympics events.
Fast forward 20 years. My 98-year-old grandmother had been trying various hearing devices for years, compensating for an increasing loss of hearing. Now, every time I call my grandmother to check in on her or announce a visit, she is picking up the receiver on a phone that was provided by Central Florida Speech and Hearing.
When recounting these stories in my mind, I realize how special it is for me to be able to support this amazing organization. Many, if not all, of my fellow contestants, can recount similar connections and stories of lives touched and transformed by Central Florida Speech and Hearing. Maybe you have a story yourself!
Let’s work together to create more of those connections and more of those stories. There are currently 154 kids on the waitlist to receive treatment. Every one of those children has a story to tell.
Please cast your vote now with a generous contribution. Your sacrificial gift means so much to me, and it will bring the tremendous gift of hearing and being heard to someone else very soon.
