Songs for Sound is now The LexCare Hearing Foundation Celebrating 15 years, a Decade of the ‘The Hearoes Tour’
- Jaime Motes
- May 22
- 8 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2025
The LexCare Hearing Foundation
Call to Action: Join the movement—support our mission through sponsorships, grants, donations, or by pledging just $10 a month to help us reach One Million Ears.
NASHVILLE, TN — "In 2009, Jaime (Vernon) Motes finally received the diagnosis that changed everything: her daughter, Lexi, is deaf."
You can’t walk down Broadway in Music City without appreciating the gift of hearing. During May, Better Hearing and Speech Month, here’s an update on the nation’s only comprehensive outreach hearing loss charity that provides hearing screenings, Care Team guidance and ensures everyone can “hear the music.”
The Girl Behind the Mission: Lexi.
After nearly two years of confusion, misinformation, and a lack of clear guidance, Jaime finally heard the words that explained so much—but also opened the door to an uncertain future. Then, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center something extraordinary happened:
"We think Lexi is a great candidate for cochlear implants."
Those words—and the skill, compassion, and commitment of her surgeon, Dr. David Haynes, and his team—not only changed Lexi’s life, they sparked a mission that would grow into a nationwide movement.
Today, 15 years later, Lexi is thriving. Born and raised in Nashville, she’s a standout student-athlete at Centennial H.S. balancing a full plate: AP and Honors classes, excelling in Cosmetology—all while preparing for her senior year including dual enrollment college courses. Thanks to the amazing professionals who work tirelessly in hearing healthcare, Lexi continues to tear down barriers every day because she can hear, exceptionally.
Yet, for nearly two years of her early life, Lexi lived in silence—never hearing a lullaby, a giggle, a bedtime story, or the music her hometown is famous for (including her favorites like Morgan Wallen and Megan Moroney!). That quiet chapter became the spark for a foundation built on a powerful mission: to make sure no one has to face the silence alone.
“Lexi has remarkable hearing and speech today thanks to her cochlear implants, the incredible team at Vanderbilt, and her own determination,” shares Motes. “I’ll never forget the moment I realized she had never heard my lullabies. It explained why we couldn’t connect—and it broke my heart. But then, we were given a miracle. Watching her learn to hear, speak, and fall in love with music… I knew I had to give that gift to others.”
What began as Songs for Sound—a small nonprofit started at a kitchen table—has now evolved into The LexCare Hearing Foundation, and this Better Hearing & Speech Month, we’re celebrating 15 years of impact, launching the 10th Annual Hearoes Tour, 33,000 people served and announcing our boldest initiative yet: The One Million Ears Campaign.
The LexCare Hearing Foundation Launches 10th Annual Hearoes Tour and ‘One Million Ears’ Campaign
15 Years of Impact. One Million Ears to Reach.
In honor of Better Hearing & Speech Month, The LexCare Hearing Foundation is proud to kick off its largest outreach effort to date. The 10th Annual Hearoes Tour, the nation’s longest-running mobile hearing health outreach, hits the road alongside the launch of the One Million Ears Campaign—a bold call to action to connect one million ears to hearing healthcare through free screenings, benefit reviews, education, and direct Care Team support. (Full Tour Impact HERE)
This tour will add to impressive accomplishments by the charity since 2011:
Given over 33,000 free hearing screenings
Hosted over 1000 free hearing health events in 35+ states
Hosted (5) Hear the Music Kids Camps for children with hearing loss and families
Conducted (4) international hearing missions in Jamaica
Served over 3000 veterans, over 10,000 children and over 20,000 adults/seniors
Launched Hear to Learn in partnership with MNPS and Backfield in Motion for underserved children; a free screening program with Care Team family support
Generated over 300 million hearing health awareness impressions through a nationwide mobile tour, using the vehicle as a powerful platform for awareness, education and engagement.
Launched the Care Team allowing people to get personalized 1-on-1 support, guidance and coordination
With over 400 million people globally living with disabling hearing loss—and as many as 90% going untreated—this campaign meets a critical moment in time.
Coming this fall and continuing for 12 months, the Hearoes Tour will roll through communities across Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and beyond—bringing hearing health directly to those who need it most.
“Our goal is clear—reach the 80–90% of people with hearing loss who remain untreated,” said Jaime Motes, Founder and CEO. “This mission started with my daughter, Lexi, who was born deaf and experienced firsthand the overwhelming gaps in hearing healthcare—from diagnosis to education to access. Cochlear implants were life-changing for her, but her journey to care had so many barriers. For 15 years, we’ve been boots on the ground helping families like ours. Now, with the support of incredible partners like Cochlear and Lenire, we’re pushing further than ever to ensure every person has a fair shot at hearing care—no matter their story, age, or zip code.”
Since 2015, the Hearoes Tour has hosted over 1000 free events. In 2025-26, the Hearoes Tour is getting a fresh look with a new mobile unit, experience and advanced features for continued improvement and streamlining care. The tour will feature various technology demos for hearing and communication including captioning products, services, tinnitus & implantable hearing solutions. In addition, the Tour will offer a community-wide Hearoes Day in each market including a fun way to celebrate hearing, engage with local professionals and enjoy food, music and special stories.
Powering the Movement: 10th Annual Hearoes Tour Sponsors
The tour’s impact is made possible thanks to:
Cochlear Americas, LexCare’s longest and most loyal partner, has stood beside the organization since its first Hear the Music Gala in 2011 and remains a foundational force in empowering the charity’s growth and mission.
“Supporting Songs for Sound’s mission helps us reach individuals who might otherwise remain undiagnosed and untreated. We are proud to stand by this initiative that brings such crucial services to our seniors, veterans and all ages in communities across the country." said Scott Housley, Vice President of Marketing, Cochlear Americas
Lenire by Neuromod, The Hearoes Tour’s first tinnitus-focused partner, offering innovative solutions to one of the most reported—and least addressed—hearing-related concerns among veterans.
“Sponsoring the Hearoes Tour, and supporting the invaluable services The LexCare Hearing Foundation provides, advances our commitment to the 3.2 million veterans living with tinnitus by increasing awareness and accessibility of life-changing tinnitus care and evidence-based treatment options.” said Eric Timm, Neuromod USA CEO and Neuromod Devices President of Global Commercial Operations.”
Additional major gift grantmakers: GoToTeam, The Milligan Family, Boedecker Foundation and Sertoma Club of Nashville, all long-time and faithful supporters of the charity’s outreach and programs.
“To meet the growing demand for our services, we need support from hearing healthcare companies, clinics, and businesses across the U.S.,” says Motes. “This life-changing work simply isn’t possible without the partnership of committed sponsors.”
Become a Hearoes Tour Sponsor or Grantmaker HERE
Honing In: Veterans & the Exceptional VA
In 2025–2026, LexCare is narrowing its outreach focus to support one of the most underserved yet deserving populations—veterans. Data from the Hearoes Tour reveals:
65% of all veterans screened are referred for follow-up care
85% of senior veterans require hearing support
40% of veterans reported tinnitus, ringing of the ear
88% of those referred asked for help navigating the system through LexCare’s Care Team
VA clinics across the country are opening their doors and partnering with the Foundation to bridge the gaps in access, awareness, and follow-through—especially for aging veterans and those struggling with tinnitus and hearing-related mental health concerns.
In addition, the national VA Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE) has played an instrumental role in the success and continued growth of our programs helping us connect with the leadership throughout the VA.
“The VA has made a clear commitment to reaching underserved, especially rural, veterans and communities. That mission aligns perfectly with ours,” shares Motes. “We’re incredibly grateful for every VA staff member we’ve had the privilege to work with—from leadership at the VA CDCE to Chiefs of Audiology and Public Affairs Directors to Facility Directors and frontline staff. Across the board, they’ve embraced our free services and welcomed us for one reason: they genuinely care about veterans.”
Founder, Jaime Motes, giving a veteran with severe vision loss a free hearing screening at
The American Legion National Convention
2025–2026 Hearoes Tour Highlights
200+ Hearing Health Events across 12 states
10,000+ free hearing screenings and Care Team guidance
12 Hearoes Days – community celebrations with screenings, music, education, and tech demos
Veterans + VA Outreach – partnerships with VA Medical Centers, CBOCs & their surrounding communities
Technology Demos – Empowering veterans to see, touch, and experience the latest in advanced hearing and tinnitus technology available through VA Audiology.
Advanced Follow-Up Campaigns – The Foundation’s strategic approach leverages data and targeted qualifying methods to better connect with veterans by meeting them where they are in their personal hearing journey. Factors like age, symptoms, location, and readiness all guide how we engage.
Partnering with GoToTeam to capture powerful stories from across the country—highlighting veterans, families, and communities impacted by hearing loss and the audiologists and caregivers who give life-changing care.
The One Million Ears Campaign
LexCare is calling on 8,333 people to pledge $10/month to keep mobile outreach on the road, Care Team support ongoing, and impact expanding. Monthly donors receive regular updates, special invitations, and the opportunity to change lives—one ear, one story at a time. Give or Pledge HERE.
Looking Back: The Hear the Music Galas
Before launching the Hearoes Tour, our charity built momentum through a series of impactful outreach events across the country hosting Hear the Music Galas—Nashville-inspired songwriter nights—in cities from Nashville to Charleston to Los Angeles, bringing the powerful message of hearing health to life through music. These events connected communities to local resources, audiologists, clinics, and surgeons, raising awareness and building lasting relationships.
From Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago to NYU and MUSC in Charleston, many leading institutions joined the charity in spreading the word.
As the cost of venues and live events has risen, the charity is reimagining these beloved events and bringing them back at four special Hearoes Days in 2025-26.
Looking Ahead: Hope House
LexCare is preparing to launch a capital campaign for its first permanent headquarters: The Hope House.. The space will serve as the hub for all LexCare programs—providing screenings, speech & auditory therapy, counseling, care coordination, training, community events and expanding its outreach in the music community.
Why the Name Change?
In early 2025, the organization transitioned from Songs for Sound to The LexCare Hearing Foundation, aligning with the broader launch of LexCare Hearing, a for-profit social enterprise providing concierge hearing care services. Every LexCare Hearing subscription helps fund the Foundation’s mission, creating a sustainable model of impact.
Fueled by Generosity, Driven by Purpose
Our success has been made possible through the generosity and belief of those who share our mission.
Over the years, we’ve been proud to partner with incredible presenting sponsors—including Phonak, Eargo, Amplifon, Otokiosk, ReSound, Revolution Hearing, and our most steadfast supporter, Cochlear—each playing a key role in expanding our impact.
We’re also deeply grateful for the ongoing support of families and organizations whose faithful annual donations have fueled our growth, including the The Hardaway Family and all of their friends, the Bawel Family, Keith Urban’s Just Cause Foundation, ACM Lifting Lives, Lincoln of Franklin, ASE Direct, Bass Flooring, Brentwoodline, OAG Gear, The Baron Family, The Memorial Foundation, The Easterday Family and many more.
We’ve had the pleasure of serving over 700 community partner organizations allowing us to reach the most at-risk including VA clinics, The American Legion, VFW, Backfield In Motion, MNPS over 200 YMCA locations, over 200 Boys and Girls Clubs, Del Webb communities and hundreds of charities, businesses and organizations.
Together, they’ve helped us turn our mission into a movement.
Learn More & Get Involved:
Programs & Tour Details:
Donate, Pledge, Volunteer: lexcarefoundation.org/donate
Become a Tour Partner/Host an Event:
Need Help With Hearing Loss? lexcarefoundation.org/care-team
View Our Impact Reports: lexcarefoundation.org/hearoes-impact
Business & Family Hearing Health Platform that Gives Back: lexcarehearing.com
MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Havey, Publicist | jhavey@jimhaveypr.com
FOUNDATION / MARKETING CONTACT: Jaime Motes | jmotes@lexcarehearing.com
PROGRAM & EVENT COORDINATOR: Molli DeRosa | mderosa@lexcarehearing.com
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