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Move for Melanoma 2020 – It’s a Wrap!

To everyone who participated in Move for Melanoma 2020 by raising awareness and funds in their communities, a huge thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Over 100 participants and 24 teams across Canada took part in Move for Melanoma this year! We have been so moved and inspired by this incredible community of patients, families, and friends.

We’d like to thank all those who supported Move for Melanoma by making a donation, sponsoring an event or spreading the word. Thanks to you, the event was a monumental success!
We reached 120% of our (doubled) fundraising goal! You can read our full post-event press release HERE.

To all participants and donors, your dedication to the fight against skin cancer will help Save Your Skin Foundation continue to support Canadians living with non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma and ocular melanoma when they need it most. Every single dollar raised through your donations will go directly to patients in the form of cab fares, treatment costs, flights, accommodation and other necessary but costly expenses incurred while receiving treatment.

Thanks to all our participants who sent us pictures of themselves and their teammates taking part in Move for Melanoma, we were able to create a beautiful Wrap video of the event. We encourage you to take 2 minutes to complete our post-event PARTICIPANT SURVEY to help us improve for next year!

Watch our 2020 Wrap video!

Thank you to our Sponsors:

We’d like to acknowledge the many businesses that have stepped up to support our event this year. They have generously donated prizes for our top fundraisers and made monetary contributions to the event.
Please show them your support!

Move for Melanoma 2020

TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN MOVE FOR MELANOMA 2020 BY RAISING AWARENESS AND FUNDS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, A HUGE THANK YOU! WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

September 26-27 , 2020

Over 100 participants and 24 teams across Canada took part in Move for Melanoma this year! We have been so moved and inspired by this incredible community of patients, families, and friends.

We’d like to thank all those who supported Move for Melanoma by making a donation, sponsoring an event or spreading the word. Thanks to you, the event was a monumental success!
We reached 120% of our (doubled) fundraising goal! You can read our full post-event press release HERE.

To all participants and donors, your dedication to the fight against skin cancer will help Save Your Skin Foundation continue to support Canadians living with non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma and ocular melanoma when they need it most. Every single dollar raised through your donations will go directly to patients in the form of cab fares, treatment costs, flights, accommodation and other necessary but costly expenses incurred while receiving treatment.

Thanks to all our participants who sent us pictures of themselves and their teammates taking part in Move for Melanoma, we were able to create a beautiful Wrap video of the event. We encourage you to take 2 minutes to complete our post-event PARTICIPANT SURVEY to help us improve for next year!

WATCH OUR 2020 WRAP VIDEO!

Thank you for all our sponsors

SYSF Webinar! Basal Cell Carcinoma: What Patients Need to Know

Dr. Max Sauder, Onco-dermatologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, will review the latest news, clinical data and other updates as they relate to the treatment of cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a common and sometimes metastatic skin cancer. Dr. Sauder will provide an update on skin cancer statistics in Canada, the science behind primary and metastatic BCC diagnosis and treatment, and he will share his key insights into what the landscape of metastatic BCC immuno-oncology treatment looks like for the near future in Canada.

Presenter:

Maxwell B. Sauder|MD, FRCPC, DABD

Onco-dermatologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Research Director, Toronto Research Centre

Director, Pigmented Lesion Clinic, Toronto Dermatology Centre

Dermatologist, Toronto Dermatology Centre

Dr. Sauder is a board-certified dermatologist in Canada and the United States with additional fellowship training in cutaneous oncology. He is a former faculty member of Harvard Medical School where he focused on skin toxicities of anti-cancer treatments (STATs). He is currently an onco-dermatologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre where he assists in the management of complex cutaneous malignancies and STATs.

Register at the link below! Can’t attend at that time? Register anyway and we’ll send you a link to the recording:

Details

Date:: September 29
Time:: 4 pm ET / 1pm PT
Register:: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/679089577203447056

Partnership with StayWell

We are excited to announce our partnership with StayWell! StayWell is a charity that provides subsidized housing accommodations to those who need to relocate for medical treatment. Their mission is to remove a major financial barrier to life-saving treatments by providing patients with comfortable, local, reduced-cost housing for patients and their families while they undergo hospital treatment.

Visit staywell.charity to find out more!

Move for Melanoma Fundraising Tips

The Countdown is On!

Easy Fundraising Tools

To all of you who have already registered, a big thank you! With 25 days to go, we’ve already reached 45% of our fundraising goal. But we can’t stop here!

Soliciting donations doesn’t come naturally to everyone. That’s why we’ve created some fundraising templates that you can use.

These are pre-written messages you can customize and post to your social media or send by email to your friends and family. We wrote five different messages, so you can use the one you prefer, or use a different one every week.

To check out the templates and other resources, click here.

And don’t forget, if you don’t ask, the answer is always no! Most people who know you and your journey would probably love to support you, they just need a tangible way to do it. By asking for help, you’re gifting them with an excellent opportunity to show you they care.

Register if you haven’t already

It’s not too late to register, but don’t wait much longer. We’ll be sending our beautiful branded Lululemon shirts and other goodies to all Team Captains next week.

If you have any questions about how to register or what it involves, check out our Q&A page here, or email marianne@saveyourskin.ca.

The Importance of Exercising for Maintaining Good Mental Health

How often do you take a moment to check in with your mental health? For many, this aspect of life can be overshadowed or it can conjure up feelings ranging from confusion to contentment. As a result, it is important to acknowledge that even good mental health can include feelings of sadness, anxiety, and anger. The key is knowing how to manage these feelings in a healthy way and how to find a balance in which you can still enjoy life. That being said, in the midst of a global health crisis it is understandable for an individual’s mental health to be significantly impacted. It is common to feel nervous for the future, to feel isolated, and to feel higher levels of stress than usual. Fortunately, the most commonly made New Year’s resolution is also known to be a major remedy in improvement of mental health. The benefits of exercising regularly impact a wide array of areas in the human body so it comes as no surprise that it also results in stronger emotional well being.

How Exercise Impacts Mental Health

Exercise has been proven to minimize daily stress, improve quality and duration of sleep, increase feelings of confidence and improve performance in the classroom at all age levels.* These benefits have a strong correlation with mental health and only make up a fraction of the overall advantages associated with consistent physical activity. You may be wondering what exact mechanisms relate exercise to improved mental health. The answer can be divided into what occurs neurologically, physically and socially from physical activity. For example, neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline are released during exercise and play a vital role in increasing mood. These chemicals can also stimulate the brain to improve attention span and memory which is useful in conducting daily activities.** On the other hand, regular exercise can result in physical changes to the body like weight loss and muscular gain. These changes along with a stronger mood can result in greater confidence and a desire to recreate the feeling from exercising. In addition, the amount of social interactions we have can increase through participating in physical activity. This can happen from joining sports, group fitness classes, or simply working out with friends. An increase in social interactions generally results in individuals feeling happier and well supported. With this underlying knowledge of mental health and exercise you can start to make changes and incorporate physical activity into your daily life.

How to Reap the Benefits of Exercise

For individuals starting their fitness journey the big question is typically: how much exercise is needed to produce effective results? The answers vary depending on the professional asked, the article read, or the study conducted. Taking this into account, the generally accepted response is to do what feels best for you and your body. This could mean going for runs every morning, going to the gym or following along with YouTube workouts. The current state of the virus may make it difficult to visit the gym but with outdoor and at home workouts becoming more prevalent, coaching guides are more accessible than ever. The summer weather can make outdoor workouts increasingly appealing, however extra precautions must be taken to protect our skin from the sun.

With that in mind, check out our list of Sun Safety Apparel Suppliers and our Prevention page. Our website also contains other Mental Health Resources and recordings of Mental Health Webinars. In conclusion, take the time to check in with yourself and utilize the benefits of exercise but always make sure you’re protecting yourself from harmful UV rays as you do so.

* For further detail regarding mental health and exercise see “Psychology Works Fact Sheet: Physical Activity, Mental Health and Motivation” by the Canadian Psychological Association, https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Publications/FactSheets/PsychologyWorksFactSheet_PhysicalActivity_MentalHealth_Motivation.pdf

** For more information on the brain effects of exercise watch “The brain-changing benefits of exercise | Wendy Suzuki,” https://youtu.be/BHY0FxzoKZE

ASCO 2020 Event Report

In 2020, the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting took place from May 29th-31st, with the last two days being devoted to online presentations.

This report will be dedicated to the presentations that representatives from Save Your Skin Foundation remotely attended, with a focus on melanoma, innovative treatments, and survivorship. The information in this report is sourced directly, occasionally verbatim, from ASCO presentations and abstracts. If you require more information on an abstract, the clinical trial numbers (where available) are included for your reference.

Please CLICK HERE to read or download the report.

Feedback or questions? Contact us – info@saveyourskin.ca

SYSF Webinar – Melanoma Treatment FAQs: Do’s, Don’ts, and How to Manage Side Effects

Recording available!

Join us to hear the latest updates on current immunotherapy and targeted therapy treatments for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers in Canada.

Dr. Smylie and Dr. Iafolla will hold a panel discussion on recommended dietary and lifestyle habits while on treatment, as well as managing toxicities from fever and pneumonitis to dermatologic complications from immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Presenters:

Dr. Michael Smylie, Medical Oncologist, Cross Cancer Institute, Professor, Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton
Dr. Marco Iafolla, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Medical Oncologist, Genitourinary and Cutaneous Site Lead, William Osler HS

Click HERE to view the recording!

Move for Melanoma is Back

This September, join us from your living room, your yard, your neighbourhood park, or your favorite trail to move your body and fundraise for a great cause!

Being physically apart won’t stop us from coming together!

On September 26-27th, Save Your Skin Foundation will be hosting its 2^nd annual Move for Melanoma activity challenge across Canada to raise funds for melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, and ocular melanoma patients.

Since physical distancing protocols will likely still be in effect at the time of the event, we have reimagined it to allow you to attend virtually. As the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”! It’s in this spirit that we’ve decided to make the best of this situation by ramping up our game this year with a virtual opening ceremony, games and prizes for your whole family and physical challenges you can take part in from the comfort of your own home!

We’ve made it super easy for you to participate!

Simply follow these steps:

REGISTER NOW

Why: Save Your Skin Foundation is the only organization in Canada that supports skin cancer patients financially when they need it most. All the money raised through your donations goes directly to patients in the form of cab fares, treatment costs, flights, accommodation and other necessary but costly expenses incurred while receiving treatment. In the past year, we have received more requests for support than we could afford to fulfill. Having to say no to a patient in need is something we dread doing. With your support, we won’t have to do it this year!

Charities across Canada are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Donations are down across the board. SYSF is no exception. We had to cancel our Gala this spring and regular donations have been in slow decline. And yet, skin cancer continues to be diagnosed at an alarming rate.

Furthermore, a recent survey we conducted has confirmed our fears: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer patients are encountering additional difficulties due to the pandemic, from treatments being postponed, to difficulty getting in contact with their care team. Needless to say, financial worries should be the last thing on the mind of cancer patients as they navigate these stressful times. Help us make sure we have the resources needed to allow everyone the same chance of survival.

Larry & Kara Perehudoff showing off their SYS jerseys during last year’s event.

Choose an activity from the list below or come up with your own!

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SIGN ME UP!

Whether you’re a survivor who wants to bring hope to newly diagnosed patients, a family member or friend of a patient who wants to send a powerful message of solidarity to patients across Canada, or a patient who wants to help change the face of cancer forever, we invite you to take a stance against melanoma and to move with us this September!

Hand in hand, we fight melanoma together!

For more info on supporting Save Your Skin Foundation, check out our Volunteer page.

New Sun Safety T-shirts

During the month of May, SYSF ran a drawing contest titled “This is What Sun Safety Looks Like” in order to find a new design to adorn our sun safety t-shirts. The contest was aimed at youth under the age of 16. Once the contest submission period was over, we invited the general public to vote for their favourite drawing. The winning drawing, submitted to us by Miley from Scotchlake, NS, won by a landslide. Her drawing, depicting an umbrella, a tube of sunscreen and a water bottle on a road trip to Sun Safety Way in a vintage Volkswagon van, won us over with its fun interpretation of sun safety.

Our new t-shirts and other merchandise, which bear the awesome design, are now on sale in our brand new online merchandise store. We also have some awesome tote bags with the design!

All proceeds made from the sale of our merchandise goes directly to assisting patients meet their everyday needs during treatment in the form of transportation, accommodation, child care, lost wages and more.

Get your very own sun safety t-shirts and tote bags by visiting our brand new store!

Move for Melanoma 2020 – It’s a Wrap!

To everyone who participated in Move for Melanoma 2020 by raising awareness and funds in their communities, a huge thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Watch our 2020 Wrap video!

Thank you to our Sponsors: