Ashland University sorority, Delta Zeta Theta Psi, is hosting a “Hike for Hearing” on Sunday, Oct. 12 to educate the general public about hearing and speech.
The event will be held at Freer Field located at 1301 Park St., Ashland, OH, 44805 beginning at 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The national Delta Zeta chapter held this event yearly; however, covid put this to a stop. Now, the event will be hosted again to aid in the sorority’s mission.
“We focus on hearing and speech. So, all the money that we raise goes to our main partner, Starkey,” Delta Zeta President Lauren Bartlett said. “Then they’re able to buy hearing aids and then also send people on mission trips.”
The hope of these events is to give people with hearing and speech issues a better life found Bartlett. She added the uniqueness of the organization is they’re “the only global women’s organization that focuses on hearing and speech.”
With them being the only organization that focuses on hearing and speech, it’s important for them to accomplish their mission.
“We strive to have everyone fit into their community and just for giving back and doing service and everything like that,” Bartlett said.
Locally they have support from Sertoma in Mansfield outside of their national partner Starkey. Sertoma aids Delta Zeta in mutually supporting their on-campus initiatives while in return they support them and go to their events.
Partners like that are important to the organization because hearing and speech is something important to the organization that needs to be addressed: “You don’t realize all the things that you would miss out on if you can’t hear,” Bartlett said.
Thus, the “Hike for Hearing” event gives people the chance to be educated on hearing and speech while also donating to the chapters cause.
“We’ll have facts set up about the deaf community and how you can support and help,” Bartlett said. “People just get to pay $10 just to walk around Freer Field. They can walk as many miles as they want, or as little as they want.”
All the proceeds will go to Delta Zeta’s hearing and speech partners.
Personally, the mission to Bartlett is back to something bigger than her. “I feel blessed to be a part of something that is something bigger for other people in the world that don’t have what I have.”
If you’re unable to attend the “Hike for Hearing” and support Delta Zeta’s missions, you’ll have the opportunity to do so through some of the following events coming up: Rose Ball, Candy Grams, and Popcorn sale.
To not miss out on these events, you can follow Delta Zeta on Instagram @dzthetapsi to stay up to date.
