Hearoes for Hearing Spring Festival

Hearoes for Hearing is the non-profit philanthropy of the University of Florida National Student Speech-Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA). Our charity directly benefits patients in the UF Health Cochlear Implant Program. This spring Hearoes is hosting a hybrid spring festival in place of our annual Relay Races. Please join us in supporting Hearoes either in-person or virtually! 

Our in-person spring festival event is on Sunday, March 14th from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm at the Historic Depot Building and Depot Park in Gainesville! Join us for a safe, socially distant, and fun festival with games, crafts, sidewalk chalk, sand art, and a walk/run around the beautiful Depot Park promenade. We also have a virtual walk and chalk component to our spring festival if you are joining us virtually! Walk/run/cycle a distance of your choosing anytime between Friday, March 12th and Sunday, March 14th in any location and upload your results to Runsignup. Show your Hearoes spirit by creating a sidewalk chalk mural of choice (examples: superhearoes, Hearoes logo, ears, cochlear implants) and share pictures on our Hearoes social media! 

Registration for our in-person event closes on Monday, March 8th; please make sure to register before 11:59 pm on this date! There will be no day of registration this year, as we need a full roster of participants before the event start to adhere to social distancing guidelines and promote a safe and healthy event. Registration for our virtual event will be open through March 14th. Pricing is as follows: $15 for adults & $12 for children (in-person at Depot Park) and $12 for adults & $10 for children (virtual). 

According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, approximately 28 million Americans have a hearing impairment. The purpose of Hearoes for Hearing is to raise money for the UF Cochlear Implant Fund to help purchase new test materials and therapy materials in the speech department for habilitation and rehabilitation, audiological tests, and provide loaner equipment for both the children and adult patients. Additionally, we strive to spread awareness about hearing loss throughout the Gainesville community. In 2017, we raised over $9,000 and had over 250 participants at our annual 5k. In 2018, we raised $16,982 and had 316 participants at our 5k! In 2019 and 2020, we raised over $15,000 and had roughly 850 attendees at our events. Thanks to our incredible, dedicated participants, Hearoes for Hearing continues to grow every year! Although this year looks different, our goal is to continue to create diverse events and provide a community for the patients and families. We hope you decide to join our cause in supporting the local hearing loss community.