Music
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2015 “So The World May Hear” Awards Gala
You guys feel good about being here tonight? Are you Inspired?
I think each gala takes on a life of its own and I think this year it's more
about the work so we're all going to come together and celebrate tonight.
Hi Minneapolis, you guys look great!
It’s all for an amazing cause, so any time I can come out, have a good time,
get dressed up and meet some cool people I’m down to come.
To be able to help with this cause is amazing.
This Foundation represents magic.
It’s just sort of human beings at their finest.
You see the awesome work that they do around the world and the big hearts that Bill and Tani have.
I think what Bill and Tani have been doing is incredible.
So kind, so caring.
I don’t know what I would do without my hearing so being able to give somebody that gift is unbelievable.
We’re all here to make the world hear better, it made me hear better, so I’m going to help them any way I can.
The work that they’re doing is amazing, in terms of it’s life changing.
We’re growing our leverage, our ability to contribute and give more to life. We’re just taking that ride,
we’re looking forward to being part of expanding the capacity to serve so we can do better than we’ve ever done before.
Welcome once again to another fantastic Starkey Gala, and thank God for Bill Austin who gives hearing to people,
people who need hearing help all over the world and that’s what they do. Bill and Tani and their crew they make people hear better.
God Bless America finishes.
Let me say that when I was leaving my country I had a difficult decision to make
because President Obama was arriving the next day in Kenya.
And I wondered where do I go, what do I do?
My head was telling me to stay, but my heart was telling me to come because of this very worthwhile cause.
I have the great pleasure of introducing two incredible women tonight.
You see the Starkey Hearing Foundation is all about finding that hearing aid.
They totally focus on providing the gift of hearing, and have been working with both
no limits and Kerugoya School for the Hearing Impaired for a number of years. It’s been a perfect match.
Starkey Foundation has been moving with us. Once they came in, they ensured that every child had a hearing aid.
This made it easy for a philosophy as teachers to communicate to the children because they could listen.
We could see over time their education performance rise and I will say the cause
was for providing the hearing aids and with speech we shall empower the children to a great level.
Having a child with a hearing loss is really difficult for parents and it’s overwhelming
and it can be quite painful as they think of the future of their child.
Also having a hearing loss is quite expensive.
But then we have Starkey, right. Thank God for Starkey for helping these low-income families to be able to hear.
They would not be able to have that without them, and they do it here in America and they do it
across the globe and I’m just so honored to know them and to see the work that they do.
This president has saved literally millions of lives.
And he’s doing things today that are all really important, things that we should be proud to chip in
and support and help. I’d just like to welcome President George W. Bush to the stage.
I’m honored to be here Bill, thank you very much for this award, and Tani thank you very much.
Many of you have been on one of the missions, a lot of you haven’t, so here’s what it’s like...
You’re standing in front of a child who is scared, not sure what the heck is going on.
And Bill comes over and say’s “put this in the kid’s ear.” And I go “ba” and he goes “ba”
and I go “ba”, and he goes “ba” and I go really load “ba” and so does he
and I looked at the mother and she wept, and that’s what it’s all about, it’s beautiful.
I’m here to honor and continue to show my gratitude to a special human being in my life.
Knowing Bill and knowing Tani and being associated with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
The one thing everybody recognizes what they do, who they and it’s so the world may hear,
but out of all that you get this one word that stands out and that’s love.
I’m so elated to stand here and say that I love not only Starkey but Bill and Tani Austin because of your heart.
And today is a special day because today has been declared the William F. Austin Day here in St. Paul.
I want you all to stand to your feet and join me in welcoming back to the stage Bill Austin.
In the passage of time we’re like grains of sand in eternity, but we, we are a force to reckon with.
We can change our future, we have the power to change our future
and have a better world for our children and grandchildren.
All it takes is just reflecting the light, reflecting the love and respect for life and caring.
I just want to be part of that with you, that’s why I’m here and that’s what this thing is all about,
is being part of the good, sharing the work. My whole dream was this. You are the dream team. Thank you.
Delta Zeta sorority is 250,000 women. Now that can get the job done, I can tell you.
These women are powerhouses, they want to do good in the community,
they’re all about social responsibility, and we’ve developed this friendship
and this bond as we do this work together. So tonight we’re honoring Delta Zeta sorority.
On a Starkey mission in Matamoros, Mexico my life changed.
From the experience of bringing understanding to people through caring and sharing.
What I quickly learned was the power of nonverbal communication.
When you touch a person’s shoulder and look into their eyes and smile you see understanding, you feel peace.
We know there is much work to be done. This is just the beginning of what we will do together.
I have the great honor of introducing our closing speaker of the evening.
I think that he embodies everything that Bill and the Foundation is about.
Whether it’s caring and sharing to the work they do around the world.
Please welcome to the stage the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton.
All over the world today, the biggest challenge that we face is that there are too many young people
full of energy that can be turned toward positive or negative ends,
and the most deadening thing that can happen is that if you think every single tomorrow will be just like yesterday.
People can work their way out of poverty, they can overcome adversity, but what they can’t get over is giving up.
Neither can you, nobody can.
When Bill and Tani empower people through the gift of hearing it's the gift of hope.
All of a sudden there are options for how to form life.
There are decisions you get to make instead of decisions just being made for you.
And all of your tomorrows don’t have to be like yesterday.
There is something you can do to solve problems better and faster and very often at lower costs than they’re being dealt with today.
To embrace more people, to see people who are still invisible within our own country and around the world.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a couple with bigger hearts,
who are any better at continuing to grow inside and outside.
You should know that it’s because not only they have heart, they have vision.
And they have partners: you.
Thank you and God bless you.
Thank you so much, thank you Starkey Foundation, I believe in you!
God bless you. Goodnight.