Miley Cyrus Announces Return Trip to Haiti for Starkey Hearing Foundation Mission, While Helping to Raise Record Funds During the Organization's 11th Annual So The World May Hear Gala

MINNEAPOLIS, July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Miley Cyrus announced she will be joining the Starkey Hearing Foundation for a return visit to bring the gift of hearing to Haiti after making a generous donation that helped tip the scales at this year's So The World May Hear Awards Gala held on Sunday, July 24, 2011. During the event's silent auction, Miley placed a bid on what will be her second hearing mission to Haiti – and won. The end-of-evening donation helped the Foundation edge past last year's funds raised ($7 million), and reach a record-breaking $7.2 million for the evening.  Miley first visited the country with the Starkey Hearing Foundation in March 2011, where she helped distribute hearing aids to those in need. It was Miley's first introduction to the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and quickly led to her involvement in the Foundation's Listen Carefully campaign.

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Launched in April, the message of the campaign, directed mostly to young people, stresses a clear message – "your hearing is fragile, so don't listen loudly, listen carefully," Cyrus appeared in a series of public service ads on behalf of the campaign, and also utilized her Get Your Good On Facebook page to reach fans with the message. Fans of the artist were also invited to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a "listening experience" with the famous singer during a sound check at this year's So The World May Hear Awards Gala where she talked about her experience, performed The Climb among other signature hits, and graciously met with sweepstakes winners mother and daughter Lisa and Samantha Sobek, from Belleville, NJ.

"After I went on my first mission to Haiti with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, I felt so drawn to helping others hear for the first time and immediately wanted to look for another chance to go back and help again," said Cyrus.  "I grew up around music with my brothers and sisters and couldn't imagine what it would be like if we couldn't hear the magic of music – it's had such an influence on my life – so I want everyone to have the ability to enjoy sound as it was intended."

The mission of the Starkey Hearing Foundation is to foster greater understanding among people through hearing care by focusing on awareness, education, protection and treatment so the world may hear. Every dollar of the $7.2 million raised at this year's Gala will go towards helping the Foundation reach its goal of helping children and adults hear.

Each year, the Foundation presents its So the World May Hear Awards Gala to recognize those that have contributed throughout the year.  The event is also the largest annual fundraiser for the Foundation, helping to make the hearing missions possible. Past gala performers have included such world-class entertainers as Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Elton John, Gladys Knight, Tony Bennett, Donny Osmond, Michael Bolton, John Mellencamp, The Eagles, and Glenn Frey, with comedians such as Billy Crystal, Jay Leno and Norm Crosby serving in the role of Masters of Ceremony.

About The Starkey Hearing Foundation

The Starkey Hearing Foundation is striving to foster greater understanding among individuals and communities through hearing care by focusing on awareness, education, protection and treatment so the world may hear.  Hearing loss affects one in 10 Americans, and 63 million children worldwide, yet many do not have access to the hearing devices that can help correct that disability.  Each year, the Foundation delivers more than 100,000 hearing aids through hearing missions in countries stretching from the U.S. to Vietnam.  Since 2000, the Foundation has supplied nearly 498,000 hearing aids to people in need and is striving to achieve its goal of distributing over one million free hearing aids in this decade.  In addition to giving the gift of hearing, the Foundation partners with Best Buy and the GRAMMY Foundation to promote 'safe hearing' and hearing loss prevention among teens and young people, through its national program, SoundMatters™.  For more information on the Starkey Hearing Foundation, visit www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org.

SOURCE Starkey Hearing Foundation