By Catherine O’Hara, REVIEW STAFF

Picture this: Your favourite musician is performing on stage. You are front row center at the concert. The loudspeakers pulse to the beat. Although your best friend is mere inches away from you, you have trouble hearing him. You focus on his lips in an attempt to better understand what he’s saying. After repeating himself, you finally comprehend and nod. This is your favourite song, too.

Now imagine another, similar scenario, where your friend is attempting to communicate with you. You are having difficulty hearing him. But this time, you are in your living room. There are no magnified sounds to muffle his voice.

You are hard of hearing.

One in 10 Canadians is hard of hearing. With age, the number of people suffering from a degree of hearing loss increases. The effects of hearing loss aren’t only physiological – they can impact a person’s self-esteem and cause isolation.

“There are only so many times you can say ‘Pardon, what was that?’” said Jacquie Reid, newsletter editor for the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association’s Hamilton and area branch.

Referred to as an invisible disability, hearing loss and the challenges it presents can be overcome thanks to new technologies, hearing aids and other equipment, including cochlear implants.

Supports, including programs and seminars offered by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, also help those who are hard of hearing.

To enhance its wide range of services and resources, the Hamilton and Area branch of the not-for-profit organization has taken on an ambitious fundraiser.

You may have heard of it: The Dream Home Lottery.

There were 124,500 tickets issued for the draw, which took place last Friday (February 3). The lottery’s grand prize, valued at more than $571,680, is a brand new, Hamilton home built by Tuscany Hill Homes on Michelangelo Lane, as well as furnishings by Elizabeth Interiors, appliances from Goeman’s Appliances, a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta and home electronics from East Hamilton Radio. Hamilton’s Carol Kush was the holder of that golden ticket.

Additional prizes included home electronics, grocery gift cards and digital camera kits.

“They’ve pulled out all the stops,” said Reid of the prizes up for grabs. “I think people would be reasonably pleased if they won any of those prizes.”

Putting on a fundraiser of this magnitude, said Reid, was a time-consuming affair. With the assistance and guidance of members of CHHA in Sudbury, who have hosted a successful draw for several years, Hamilton branch president Arthur Rendall and his team of volunteers worked tirelessly to see the fundraising project through.

“It’s been a grand journey,” said Reid, adding that the Hamilton Dream Home Lottery committee began its work for the February 2012 event some 14 months ago. “This is a lot of work, but if this lottery is a success, it makes it all worthwhile.”

The Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, formed in 1982, is the voice for hard of hearing people across the nation and currently offers services at 40 branches.

“Our mandate is to educate and help people, give them coping skills,” said the Hamilton branch volunteer.

According to CHHA Hamilton’s vice president, Rob Diehl, the group raised $750,000 through the dream home lottery. The money, explained Reid, will enable the group to “assist people with more education, with more support and with more speech reading classes.”

Annually, the Hamilton branch serves approximately 100 hard of hearing people. That number is expected to swell, thanks to increased awareness brought on by the lottery.

Hearing loss, explained Reid, can be caused by a variety of factors, including being exposed to loud noises or genetic conditions.

“It can run the gamut,” said the former Westinghouse buyer who is also hard of hearing.

Youth, too, are beginning to show signs of hearing loss. This, noted Reid, could be attributed to portable music devices such as MP3 players.

Individuals who find themselves having to turn up the volume on their television set, ask people to repeat themselves or find whispers nearly impossible to hear, could be suffering from hearing loss.

Help, stressed Reid, is available.

CHHA Hamilton hosts four annual meetings for people who are hard of hearing. Guest speakers are called in to address various issues. The meetings, said Reid, feature real-time captioning as well as an infrared system.

While educational, the meetings also serve as great opportunities for guests in attendance to connect with others in similar circumstances.

Looking to increase the organization’s visibility in the community, Reid encourages the hard of hearing to tap into the resources available through CHHA.

“CHHA is the best-kept secret around, but now you know about it,” she said.

For more information about the Hamilton and area branch of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, visit www.chha-hamilton.ca or call 905-667-1733.