SunSavvy365

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Cody R. Barnett, Director of Communications
M: (717) 880-7100
E-mail: cbarnett@curemelanoma.org 

​Melanoma Action Coalition & Melanoma Research Alliance Launch SunSavvy365
 
The Melanoma Action Coalition and the Melanoma Research Alliance are partnering to launch SunSavvy365, an online campaign to remind everyone that the need for sun safety does not end on Labor Day. The campaign toolkit, freely available to anyone at www.SunSavvy365.org, includes dozens of tailored prevention messages that can be easily shared via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to remind parents, children, and young adults to protect their skin every day.
 
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), an estimated 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each day. The AAD also estimates that more than 178,000 new cases of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, will be diagnosed this year and that more than 9,000 Americans will die due to the disease. While the incidence of other forms of cancer has decreased in recent years, the incidence of skin cancer has risen. UV radiation, which has been labeled by the World Health Organization as a known carcinogen, is a major risk factor in the incidence of skin cancer and melanoma. It is estimated that just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's risk of developing melanoma later in life, and women who use tanning beds before age 30 are six times more likely to develop melanoma. 
 
SunSavvy365 stresses the need to reduce the risk of skin cancer and melanoma by:

• wearing sunscreen every day, year-round
• seeking shade during mid-day, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• wearing sun-protective clothing, including broad-brimmed hats and sunglasses, when in the sun;
• avoiding tanning beds
• checking your skin regularly for any suspicious growths or changes.

 
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research. Since its founding in 2007, MRA has committed $101 million in funding to advance our understanding of this disease. MRA funds prevention, diagnosis, and treatment research projects.www.curemelanoma.org
 
The Melanoma Action Coalition (MAC) accelerates the end of melanoma by bringing together more than 35 community-based foundations and advocates, who are at the forefront of this effort, and providing the support they need to amplify their effectiveness and impact. Founded in 2014, MAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose membership extends throughout North America. www.melanomaactioncoalition.org
 
Everyone is invited to join the campaign and help amplify the #SunSavvy365 message through their social media channels. Download a user-friendly social media toolkit at: www.SunSavvy365.org
 
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