Charity
Folks,
A reader of my blog will be taking place in this event. If you could find it in your heart and of course your pocket, please help this cause.
Man Rides For Kids With Hearing Loss
One
man is setting out on a mission to help Arkansas children who suffer
from hearing loss. He will ride his bicycle from Fort Smith to West
Memphis -- in a 24 hour ride -- with hopes to raise thousands of
dollars for children with hearing problems.
George Cobb--suffers
from hearing loss himself. That's why he wants to change the world for
little ones at Children's Hospital who also suffer.
Cobb is
serious about helping little ones with hearing loss because he can
relate. The Children's Hospital employee was diagnosed at age five with
hearing loss.
Cobb says, "I had a hearing aid behind my ear and
every time I jumped to shoot a basket in basketball it would come
flying out, stuff like that I really want kids to be able to do."
In
hopes to raise thousands of dollars, Cobb will ride more than 320 miles
from Fort Smith to West Memphis....his goal is to stretch from the
Arkansas River to the Mississippi.
Cobb says, "We're gonna come
from Fort Smith and ride to here. Then from here we'll go to Memphis,
and then we'll hop in our cars and come home."
This is Cobb's second ride for the children. He did his first two years ago. Doctors at ACH say his help is greatly appreciated.
Audiologist
Dr. Jan Stroud says, “The technology we're trying to provide these
children is very expensive. Sometimes it costs $4,000-$6,000 for a set
of hearing aids and FM systems for the school systems so that is costly
for parents."
Cobb is one of 16-million baby boomers affected
by hearing loss--but he's not doing this for his generation--he does it
to see the smiles on the kids' faces.
Cobb says, "To help kids
get hearing aids and equipment they need, so when they go to school
they can excel. There’s probably a bazillion kids who should be on the
honor roll but they can't hear well enough so they're not getting the
advantage they need."
Cobb plans to start his ride on Thursday,
June 28th at 5 AM in Fort Smith. He plans to ride by Children's
Hospital around 4:00 that afternoon so the kids can cheer him on. Cobb
hopes to raise $15,000.
Several supporters and companies have already donated money for his ride and the hospital's audiology department.
To contribute to Cobb's cause, send donations to:
Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation
TTN: Geo's ride
800 Marshall Street
Little Rock, AR 72202