Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph on Sunday joined Vikings legends Carl Eller, Chuck Foreman, Matt Blair and Robert Smith at the 16th annual Starkey Hearing Foundation's "So The World May Hear" Awards Gala.

The Starkey Hearing Foundation raised a record-breaking $9.5 million in 2016 for the Eden Prairie-based organization to continue its global humanitarian efforts.

The Vikings players were guests at an event in St. Paul that included appearances by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, comedian Jay Leno, actress Jennifer Garner and rock musicians John Mellencamp and Alice Cooper, who has formed the Hollywood Vampires with Johnny Depp.

Blair was honored for his philanthropic achievements in advancing Africa's future, and garner was recognized for helping advance early childhood education opportunities.

The achievements of local humanitarian Paula F. Goldberg, co-founder and executive director of PACER also was recognized.

Starkey Hearing Foundation celebrated the opening of the Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia that was developed by founder William F. Austin.

The organization's Hear Now program is on track for a 15-percent increase beyond 2015 in providing more hearing devices domestically at local and regional hearing missions.