On May 5, 2022, third-grader Hannah delighted a room filled with more than 100 adults as she told them with her humor and candor that she loves candy, that her favorite number is 59, that she is smart and that she has a hearing loss.
Hannah wears hearing aids to access sound and her parents were guided in helping her learn to listen and talk at Clarke. She and her parents, Lauren and Andrew, shared their story at a fundraising event for Clarke hosted by Trillium Brewing Company.
The adults-only cocktail event gathered current Clarke families, alums, supporters and representatives from local businesses to raise more than $21,000.
“This was our first fundraising event since 2019 and the positive energy and excitement as we joined together was contagious!” said Barbara Hecht, director of Clarke Boston. “We are so grateful to our local community and to our Clarke families and friends for their enthusiastic participation and support!”
In addition to the DeCastro family’s inspiring story, the evening included music by local artist Selkii and giveaways for dining, entertainment and sports experiences.
As a national nonprofit organization, funds raised by Clarke are used to further the organization’s work to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing the listening, learning and spoken language skills needed to thrive in mainstream schools and in life.
As Hannah’s dad shared, “we want other families to know what’s possible, that children who are deaf or hard of hearing will succeed with the right technology and guidance from listening and spoken language professionals like those at Clarke.” Hannah’s family agrees that she would not be where she is today without Clarke.
View photos from the event here
