‘Run to Hear' 5K Race Will Support Free Hearing Aid Program

Imagine, even for a few seconds, what life would be like without the ability to hear. Think about everyday events like a baseball game, a chance meeting with a friend, a birthday party, a day at the office, or a special occasion in your life, and then visualize those same things with the absence of sound.

West Keansburg resident Joan Moran, 84, knows all too well what a world of silence is like. For many years, the vibrant former journalist lived in isolation and was powerless to change her circumstances due to financial hardships. She could not afford a hearing aid.

“I can’t tell you how frustrating it is, to be isolated and in some respects, ostracized. I have a college degree, made a good living, and yet had to endure being called ‘deaf and dumb’ because of my inability to hear,” Moran noted.

She tried to obtain assistance, but those attempts failed until the Middletown Lions Club entered the picture. The club has a free hearing aid program for those who meet certain financial criteria. The program is administered in conjunction with the Lions International Affordable Hearing Aid Program, and as a result, Moran, who is the fifth individual to receive help from the club recently, now has the sounds of love and laughter in her life again.

 “It’s just amazing. I actually had a speech prepared,” joked Moran while attending a Lions meeting. “But instead I’ll just speak from my heart. Each and every one of you is an angel, an absolute angel,” she said emotionally when addressing the club membership.

To help those in the community like Moran, The Middletown Lions Club Charitable Foundation will host ‘Run To Hear,’ a 5k run/walk which will support the club’s free hearing aid program. All funds will be dedicated solely to the hearing aid program. Open to runners and walkers of all ages, the event will be held on Saturday, June 9 at , rain or shine, and will commence at 9 a.m. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. The entrance fee is $20 for each participant. A tee shirt is included with the fee, and medals and trophies will be awarded in all age groups. The course is a combination of grass, trails, and paved surfaces.

To encourage high school and college-age students to participate, a random drawing for a $1,000 scholarship will be held. The Josephine A. Fernicola Scholarship will be presented to a student who enters and finishes the race by Anthony Fernicola of Point Pleasant. The scholarship will be made payable directly to the college of choice.

Registration forms are available on the website of the Middletown Lions Club, www.mlions.org, or by contacting ‘Run To Hear’ Chairman Lion John Giordano at (732) 996-7495. Tee shirt sponsorships are also available for $100. Checks should be made payable to the Middletown Lions Club Charitable Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 75, Middletown, 07748, attention Lion John Giordano.