AG Bell Association Celebrates 125 Years With Legacy of Innovation Gala
Washington, DC (PRWEB) September 21, 2016 -- The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) will celebrate its 125 anniversary on Friday, September 29, 2016, 6:00 p.m. at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. Among those being honored at AG Bell's Legacy of Innovation Gala are Dr. Alexander Graham Bell's great-grandson, and two members of the U.S. House of Representative.
It has been 125 years since Dr. Alexander Graham Bell decided to devote his life's work to his passion for teaching people who were deaf. Influenced by his wife and mother who were deaf, Dr. Bell's interest and research on hearing devices led him to invent the telephone. He also founded the organization named for him--AG Bell--with the mission to advance listening and spoken language for children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing.
AG Bell's Gala celebration honors Dr. Bell's great-grandson, Gilbert M. Grosvenor, with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering leadership, service and commitment and his enduring dedication to carrying on his great grandfather's legacy. Grosvenor is the former president and chair of the National Geographic Society, and chairman emeritus of AG Bell's foundation board of directors.
Also being honored at the Gala are U.S. Representatives Lois Capps (CA) and Brett Guthrie (KY) who will jointly receive the 2016 AG Bell's Award of Distinction for championing the reauthorization of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2015. EHDI, which passed the House unanimously in September, would reauthorize EHDI grants that fund statewide programs screening newborns for hearing loss before they leave the hospital.
Esteemed attendees include Elena LaQuatra, who was crowned Miss Pennsylvania USA 2016 in December and went on to compete in the Miss USA pageant this past June, and Lance Allred, the first legally deaf player in the NBA, played professional basketball for over a decade all around the world.
Proceeds from the Legacy of Innovation Gala will benefit AG Bell and its ongoing efforts to encourage and enable children and adults with hearing loss to listen, talk and thrive in mainstream society. We will be honoring visionaries who continue to make a difference with their voice through advocacy and action.
For more information, please visit http://www.agbellgala.com.
About the AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) helps families, health care providers and education professionals understand childhood hearing loss and the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. Through advocacy, education and financial aid, AG Bell helps to ensure that every child and adult with hearing loss has the opportunity to listen, talk and thrive. With chapters located in the United States and a network of international affiliates, AG Bell supports its mission: Advancing Listening and Spoken Language for Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Susan Boswell, AG Bell Association, http://www.agbell.org, +1 (202) 204-4687, [email protected]
Share this article