WCCO got an exclusive look into a private evening this week in Minneapolis with stars including Sir Elton John, Geena Davis, Kevin Costner and Chris Tucker, all to support the Minnesota-based Starkey Hearing Foundation.

"It was kind of an impromptu event because David [Furnish, John's husband] called and said, 'You know what, we're doing an event in LA, we're flying to Toronto, we are flying right over Minnesota. You want us to stop?' Sure!" said Tani Austin, vice chair of Starkey Hearing Foundation.

It's a friendship built in philanthropy. Tani Austin co-chairs the Elton John AIDS Foundation, while John supports her foundation, which she runs with husband Bill Austin, the principal owner and chairman of Starkey Hearing Technologies.

"[Bill Austin] wanted to be a missionary doctor but he saw business working, right, and created the leverage to be able to found the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and that's the real work he wanted to do," she said.

Now, the Starkey Hearing Foundation is aiding people around the world. After years of traveling to do fittings, they now outfitted developing countries with their own hearing providers.

"If we train our people and we give them support and we help get them so they can go to the villages and they live in their own community, it's just like this magic thing that works because they own it," said Richard S. Brown, president of Starkey Hearing Foundation. 

Khotso Kebise, who was trained by the foundation in Zambia, is certainly owning his work. He explained how needed care is in parts of his native Africa.

"In Lesotho, right now as we speak, we have two hearing specialists in the whole country, in a population of 2 million people," Kebise said. "I have been in a place where there's almost no hope for people with hearing loss, for Deaf children, and so to be part of them in that journey and see them grow and become better, to me, that's what pushes me every day."

And that's why stars like Oscar-winner Geena Davis made the trip, to listen to stories and tell their own.

"It took me a long time to actually get hearing aids. I struggled for so many years I don't know, I didn't trust that it would work," Davis said. "I am self conscious about it, but someone turned me on to Tani and Starkey. I came here to get them and oh my gosh, it transformed my life, so I want to do anything I can to support all that they do."

Davis said it's given her freedom in her work and her life.

"I am excited about this next part of my life, being able to hear so much better because, you know, on the set, if it's noisy in the background it's hard for me to hear the actor. And now with this noise, I have no trouble. This would be impossible, impossible if I didn't have my hearing aids."

And that is the point of this international mission: to open ears and open hearts, no matter the volume of the world.

"I believe that is a great impact that's going to change the world," Kebise said.

Tani Austin said when she first started throwing the events, people suggested she do them in LA or New York — but she insisted on having the fundraisers in the Twin Cities.

She said during this visit, the entertainers have been raving about the beautiful fall colors.