For immediate release
TORONTO (May 18, 2005) – A fundraising effort by the Toronto-area Volvo retailers collected $36,000 to fund a vital Cochlear Implant Program at The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids). The cheque was delivered to the children’s hospital today, Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. announced.
The eleven Toronto-area Volvo retailers, Volvo Canada and Castrol Canada Inc. contributed $20 to Sick Kids’ for every Volvo vehicle owner who had a scheduled maintenance service or an oil and filter change performed between February 14 and March 11.
Different from a hearing aid that amplifies sound to help a damaged auditory system, a cochlear implant bypasses damaged or missing cells and directly stimulates with the auditory nerve. The result is that a child suffering from profound hearing loss is better able to process sound and more effectively learn speech and verbal communication skills.
The money was donated to Dr. Robert Harrison, Sr. Scientist, Otolaryngology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Sharon Jones, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Sick Kids Foundation by Annie Colman, Regional Aftersales Manager for Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
“Sick Kids is a world-leader in paediatric health care and research. With our ‘bench to bedside’ approach, leading-edge research findings can be applied to patients better, faster” said Jones. “I thank Volvo Canada, its retailers and customers for their continued support of Sick Kids and helping us improve the lives of children and their families in Canada and around the world.”
“I would like to thank the Toronto-area Volvo owners for supporting us in this program,” said Colman for Volvo Canada. “I hope they feel as gratified as I do for contributing to a program that has helped so many children.”
“Cochlear implants allow children with profound hearing loss have access to the sounds many of us take for granted, offering them an almost miraculous new way to hear the sounds of the world and to learn and understand speech and language,” said Harrison. “Thanks to Volvo Canada’s commitment and generosity, we will be able to continue to research and develop new treatments and therapies, helping children in Toronto, other provinces and around the world.”
Sick Kids’ Cochlear Implant Program began in 1990 thanks, in large part, to donations from the community. It is now Canada’s largest program and, on May 3, 2005, celebrated its 500th implant. What’s more, the program is working to help children sooner. Fifteen years ago, the average age of an implant recipient was six years – today patients are much younger, some under one year of age. This is largely because Sick Kids research has shown that the earlier a child receives the implant, the greater the success the child will have with his or her new “hearing” ability.
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 43 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company’s product range includes the flagship S80 luxury sedan, the versatile V70 wagon, the S60 sports sedan, and an XC-line of vehicles that includes the rugged XC70 and the award-winning XC90 sport utility vehicle. For 2005, the company is introducing the completely redesigned S40 sports sedan and V50 sportswagon, providing performance for a new generation.
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