The Farmville Lions Club, in partnership with Longwood’s Speech, Hearing and Learning Services (SHLS), takes great pride in announcing the successful completion of the historic project to furnish musician’s earplugs to Prince Edward County (PEC) and Cumberland County marching bands. The project goal was to help save our band members’ hearing from the high-decibel level of their musical instruments.

In 2017, Dr. Mani Aguilar, Longwood clinical audiologist, challenged her SHLS audiology students to undertake a project on hearing conservation. The challenge was seriously taken by Mani’s student, Meredith Puryear, who having lost some of her hearing during childhood. Puryear decided earplugs were needed to help save PEC school band members from losing their hearing.

Meredith discussed this with her friend, Tiarrah Crouch, the newly-hired PEC high school band director. Together they decided that the use of earplugs was long overdue and would definitely aid in saving the band members’ hearing. On Aug. 29, Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, director of SHLS, acting on Meredith’s request, asked the Farmville Lions if they could help furnish earplugs.

Since hearing conservation is a major part of the Lionism, a quick ‘yes’ answer was given. The Farmville Lions Club immediately started research to find the correct type of ear protection and found that musician’s earplugs would allow the band members to hear the music, but at a safer level. Lions held many meetings with Crouch and Puryear to decide which earplugs would be the best and ultimately most affordable.

Many companies were contacted. One company, Etymotic Research Inc., stood out over the rest and voluntarily sent a sample earplug for tryout. Included with the earplug was a multitude of relevant information and training material. Etymotic truly appeared steadfast in an effort to assist. After trying out the earplug, it was mutually decided by Meredith, Tiarrah and the Lions that it was the best and most affordable.

The Lions submitted three separate orders with the company. Etymotic also furnished in each order, free-of-charge, training material, one Personal Noise Dosimeter and one Music-Pro Electric Earplug for each band director. The free items were valued at more than $500, and the company assured the Lions they will continue to support the schools in the future — great company.

Presentation ceremonies were conducted Nov. 2 for both PEC bands, Dec. 5 for Cumberland County bands and Jan. 10 for Fuqua bands. Each band director — Crouch, J. David Ganzert, Scott Gordan and Camille Rabon — deserves special thanks for their tremendous effort in encouraging and motivating their students to save their hearing by faithfully wearing and maintaining the musician’s earplugs.

Helen Keller wrote in a 1910 letter, “The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus — the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.”

Keller also said, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.”

Keller addressed the Lions International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, on June 30, 1925 and charged Lions to be “Knights of the Blind.” Following Helen’s speech, the Lions implemented Community Hearing Conservation programs and programs to aid those with hearing impairments.

The vital area project conceivably will help save more than 300 kids’ hearing and perhaps hundreds more in the future. Undoubtedly this may be the best Hearing Preservation and Protection Project known to have been undertaken in this area and perhaps in all of Virginia. The Farmville Lions Club is grateful to Puryear, who started this great project, each school’s staff member who readily accepted the earplugs to save their band members’ hearing and to Longwood’s SHLS for our partnership, allowing us to live up to our motto: “We serve.”

Thomas E. McBride is the Farmville Lions Club Hearing Chairperson. For further information contact him via email at tmcbride@embarqmail.com.