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2022 Sunscreen Dispenser Pilot

OUR 2022 SUNSCREEN DISPENSER PILOT HAS BEEN LAUNCHED!

Save Your Skin Foundation partnered with medical student siblings Samuel and Karen Farag, and the municipalities of Summerside, PEI, Riverview, NBNew Westminster, BC, and Brooks, AB – as well as BC Cancer – to launch 10 dispensers in early August 2022.

The dispensers are automatic and touchless, and provide free, Health Canada approved SPF 30 sunscreen for anyone who needs it. The sunscreen is zinc oxide based, free from chemical sunscreen filters, common allergens and toxic ingredients including oxybenzone, avobenzone, retinyl palminate, PEG, parfume, and sodium lauryl sulphate. See image below for more details.

Here are the locations of the dispensers as of August, 2022:

New Westminster, BC

  • Moody Outdoor Pool
  • Hume Outdoor Pool
  • Grimston Park Wading Pool
  • City Parks Works Yard to support City staff working in the outdoors

Summerside, PEI

  • Summerside Turf Field
  • Leger Park
  • Summerside Boardwalk
  • One mobile dispenser to be used for festivals and public events

Riverview, NB

  • Behind the gazebo on the Riverfront Trail

Brooks, AB

  • Duke of Sutherland Park and Splash Pad

Applying sunscreen is part of an overall sun-safe way to enjoy the outdoors. First, limit your time in the direct sunlight, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., seek shade, cover up by wearing long sleeves and pants and a wide-brimmed hat. Use sunscreen, specifically one labelled broad-spectrum, SPF 30, protect the lips with lip sunscreen or zinc oxide. Apply 20 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply every two hours or after swimming.

Affixed to the Dispensers is a list of the sunscreen ingredients and reference to Health Canada’s approval of the sunscreen, as well as a disclaimer with respect to the use of the Dispenser or the sunscreen contained therein:

THE SUNSCREEN IS BEING USED AT YOUR OWN RISK. None of Save Your Skin Foundation, (participating cities), nor anyone else connected to these organizations, makes any assurances, representations, guarantees or warranties with respect to the use or effectiveness of the sunscreen or dispenser, and any and all use of the sunscreen or dispenser is done at your own risk. By using the sunscreen or the dispenser, you acknowledge and agree that none of Save Your Skin Foundation, (participating cities and organizations to be listed) nor anyone else connected to these organizations are responsible for the results or consequences from any use of the sunscreen or dispenser.

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New! NCCN Guide for Patients – Basal Cell Skin Cancer

Save Your Skin Foundation is pleased to endorse and announce the release of the new Guidelines for Patients booklet on Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC, or Basal Cell Skin Cancer) from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®).

This informative pdf-downloadable or print version booklet will help patients understand their BCC diagnosis and support them through their surgical and treatment options journey. BCC primarily impacts lighter-skinned, sun-exposed people over age 60, due to the buildup of sun exposure over the years. However, skin cancer has recently become more common in younger people, likely as a result of them spending more time in the sun. In very rare instances untreated BCC can progress significantly and be life-threatening. This new resource provides trustworthy information based on the latest evidence, and is available online at NCCN.org/patientguidelines

NCCN® guidelines are easy to read, free, well illustrated, valuable resources for patients and caregivers, available as online e-booklets, download-able PDF files, or on the “NCCN Guides for Cancer” app for iPhone or Android devices and tablets.  Though these guidelines are developed with best practices in use in the United States, the resources do apply to patients and clinicians in Canada (where treatment options and accessibility apply), as confirmed with members of the Save Your Skin Foundation Medical Advisory Board.  Canadian doctors do refer to the NCCN® clinical guidelines, and they do support the distribution of NCCN® patient guidelines to Canadian patients.

 

To view the full collection of National Comprehensive Cancer Network® Guidelines for Patients on melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers and related treatments and resources, please view our page here:

NCCN Guidelines for Skin Cancers

 

And for more information about Basal Cell Carcinoma, including our 2020 webinar on the topic, please visit our page here:

About Basal Cell Carcinoma

 

The Patient books are available for free to view and print at NCCN.org/patients or via the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App: Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines® App – Available for iPhone/iPad and Android Smartphone/Tablet

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of 28 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers around the world.

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Melanoma Awareness Month: Patient Support Resources

 

Everyone has different support needs, especially in the context of a melanoma, ocular melanoma, or non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis. Whether you are looking for community, information, or strategies for self-care, we have resources available for you. We encourage you to take a look through our website to find what works for you, but for now, here is an overview of what we have to offer. If you are particularly looking for information and support related to the COVID-19 pandemic, you should check out our COVID-19 information hub.

In our 2017 survey report, “The Affects of Melanoma on the Mental Wellness of Patients, and the Landscape of Mental Health Support in the Canadian Melanoma Community,” Save Your Skin found that the effects of a melanoma diagnosis on the mental wellness of a patient is a real and urgent concern. Survey participants reported needing support with fear, grief, end-of-life planning, their diagnosis, next steps, living with cancer, family support, survivorship, and hope. The most ideal forms of support for participants, according to the survey, are group therapy, one-on-one therapy, and family support. The majority of participants (66% in our English survey and 84.21% in our French survey) reported wanting mental wellness support after their cancer diagnosis. Therefore, if you are fighting cancer or know someone who is, it might be helpful to participate in or share the resources below!

 

Webinars

Save Your Skin has been running webinars on medical and patient support topics since 2015, the video and audio recordings of which are archived on our website. These webinars are not only an excellent educational resource, but are great for connecting with the oncology community and meeting other patients and survivors. In terms of mental health support and community, the “Mental Wellness & Support After a Cancer Diagnosis,” “Living Beyond Cancer,” and “Surviving Melanoma: A Discussion on Survivorship” might be especially interesting to you– however, it is definitely worth looking through the entire list!

 

Patient Support Group Chats

On the first Thursday of every month, we host our informal Patient Support Group Chats. These meetings are free, can be joined by phone or online, and are open to melanoma, ocular melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer patients and survivors. These group discussions include patients and survivors from across Canada, and members of the Save Your Skin team, including Founder Kathy Barnard.

In addition to our support group, you can find a list of other support group options on our Additional Resources & Support Groups page, which may include something that is more local for you.

 

Emotional and Mental Wellness Resources Page

Our Emotional and Mental Wellness Resources page features many resources related to mental wellness. These include guides for coping with overwhelm, catastrophic thinking, and grief, for improving your quality of life, and for maintaining support networks and hope. This page also includes a link to Psychology Today’s chronic illness therapist search engine, which will help you find options for therapy in your area. On this page, you can also view our guide to self care after a cancer diagnosis

 

Community and Hope

If you are looking to make connections with people who have gone through a melanoma, ocular melanoma, or non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis, or to read stories of hope, you might also be interested in our survivorship initiatives, such as Melanoma Through my Lens, which features the stories of six Canadian melanoma survivors, or I’m Living Proof, a global map that showcases the stories of many melanoma, ocular melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer survivors. If you are interested in speaking to someone you see on I’m Living Proof, you can request to connect with them to be put in touch.

We hope that Save Your Skin has something to support your mental wellness, wherever you are in your journey. This Melanoma Awareness Month, consider taking the time to investigate what resources may help you, or share the graphic below to your community, as you never know who might need help. Remember: hand in hand, we fight skin cancer together.

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To Protect Yourself from Melanoma, Look UP

Our friends at Euromelanoma, in collaboration with the Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy (an initiative of the Melanoma Research Foundation, of which SYSF is a member) have launched a new campaign to encourage people to do monthly skin checks. The campaign encourages people to “Look Up”.

If they see the sun, people should take action to protect their skin. If they see the full moon, they should perform a monthly skin check.

Help protect your loved ones and spread awareness of the importance of skin checks by downloading and sharing this poster:

To read the full report on global skin cancer statistics which inspired this campaign, please CLICK HERE.

Save Your Skin Foundation is proud to support and share this campaign to increase awareness of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.  We thank Euro Melanoma for their hard work and collaboration, and we appreciate the sponsors and partners of the project.  Watch our social media channels for more on this initiative, and as always, feel free to contact us if you would like more information! natalie@saveyourskin.ca

About the Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy: Click here to go to their introductory web page.  Save Your Skin is proud to be working with US-based Melanoma Research Foundation and the many other groups in the Coalition.  More on this is developing as we work together from our locations around the world to improve the lives of melanoma patients and their families.

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17 BC Municipalities Proclaim May Melanoma Awareness Month

As May marks both Melanoma Awareness Month and the beginning of summer weather, it is imperative that communities across Canada be reminded of the importance of sun safety at this time of year. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Canadians to stay home, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t spending time outside. In fact, many have more time than usual to enjoy the outdoors, making sun safety education as relevant as ever.

“COVID-19 has highlighted everyone’s willingness to take drastic measures to preserve our health,” says Kathy Barnard, stage 4 melanoma survivor and Founder of Save Your Skin Foundation (SYSF). “Increased preventative efforts and methods of early detection, particularly in the form of public education, public policy and built environments are also needed to reduce skin cancer rates.”

Skin Cancer in Canada is still on the rise

COVID-19 isn’t the only disease whose rates can be drastically reduced through education and preventative measures. Skin cancer rates in Canada continue to rise, including melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancers, despite being 90% preventable.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. There are more new cases of skin cancer each year than the number of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers COMBINED[1]. While most forms of non-melanoma skin cancer can be surgically removed, melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer. The five-year relative survival rate of melanoma that has metastasized is just 18%.[2]

Despite these figures, many people seek sun without taking the recommended precautionary measures, or believe that only severe burns contribute to one’s risk of skin cancer. In fact, any darkening of the skin, including a tan, is indicative of UV damage.

 

Municipal Proclamations

To increase the reach of SYSF’s awareness campaign this year, a new proclamation initiative invited BC municipalities to take a stance against skin cancer and educate their communities on sun safety through mayoral proclamations.  SYSF is pleased to announce that seventeen BC municipalities, listed below, have accepted SYSF’s invitation to proclaim the month of May 2020 ‘Melanoma Awareness Month’.  Click here to read our full press release.

City of Vancouver

City of Kelowna

City of Victoria

Town of Comox

City of Burnaby 

District of Saanich

City of Richmond

District of Central Saanich

City of New Westminster

City of Prince George

City of Surrey

City of Williams Lake

City of Whistler

District of Mission

City of Nanaimo

City of Langford

City of Campbell River 

 

Mayor of New Westminster, Jonathan Coté, was first to commit to proclaiming May 2020 as Melanoma Awareness Month, and decided to challenge other BC municipalities to follow his example. “Skin cancer is largely preventable, and yet there are more cases now than ever,” said Coté.  “This is why as Mayor of New Westminster, I’m happy to support this important initiative and challenge all BC municipalities to do the same.”

“This is an important initiative, especially for hot, sunny communities like ours,” said Mayor of Kelowna, Colin Basran. “Skin cancer is a serious public health concern, and incidences of the disease are only increasing.”

 

During Melanoma Awareness Month, we invite you to take action by publicly announcing your support of the fight against melanoma.

 

Throughout the month of May, SYSF will be engaged in several initiatives to bring awareness to melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers, and ocular melanoma. The month will be starting out with a bang thanks to a new drawing contest aimed at youth. The contest’s theme “This is what sun safety looks like”, will encourage participants to submit drawings depicting actions or environments which help prevent skin cancer. The winning entry will be determined through open voting once the May 15th deadline for submission has passed, with a $100 gift card going to the artist with the most votes.

 

Download our custom banner photo for your Facebook cover photo below, or upload a selfie below to participate in our #WeWillDefeatMelanoma campaign! We will apply our campaign frame to your selfie and post it on our social media channels.

 

 

 

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Melanoma Awareness Month – May 2019

May is Melanoma Awareness Month

May is Melanoma Awareness Month and it’s the perfect time of year to review a few easy steps we can all take to Be Sun Safe!

Spread Awareness

Join us in spreading the word about Melanoma Month by using one of our facebook banners as your cover photo! They are available for download HERE:

Sun Safety

Help us share the message about Sun Safety! Download our Sun Safety infographics by clicking on the images below and share with your friends and family!

      

Examine Your Skin

Learn how to perform a monthly skin self-exam!  When caught early, skin cancer is very treatable.

Patient Support

For those living with melanoma, support can be vital to the healing process. Save Your Skin Foundation provides a collection of resources as well as several ways for patients to connect with others or with private support. If you know someone touched by melanoma, please help them to connect with us.

We provide one-on-one support through Founder Kathy Barnard. We also provide support from other patients and survivors through our initiative “I’m Living Proof”

Click HERE for a summary of the ways you can connect with other patients, survivors, and caregivers touched by melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, and ocular melanoma.

Press Release

If you’re interested in what Save Your Skin is working on for Melanoma Awareness Month, check out our official press release, which includes vital information about melanoma rates in Canada, prevention and detection, and how to support those battling skin cancer.

Public Service Announcement

Click here to watch our new video cut about sun safety and skin cancer awareness:

 

 

Stay tuned for more updates throughout May – Melanoma Awareness Month!

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Toronto Blue Jays Take on #NotJustSkinCancer

 

As part of the melanoma awareness campaign, Melanoma survivors from across Canada are sharing their stories in response to the release of the video #NotJustSkinCancer.

Save Your Skin Foundation participated alongside the Melanoma Network of Canada to develop #NotJustSkinCancer. The video features Canadian patients who have experienced a melanoma diagnosis firsthand and have realized that melanoma is not “just skin cancer.” It informs and inspires by shedding light on the very real challenges and fears that come with a melanoma diagnosis, as well as provides hope to other Canadians facing similar situations.

Much to the esteem of the #NotJustSkinCancer team, the Toronto Blue Jays, via the Jays Care Foundation, chose to highlight the campaign during their game on July 2, 2016, as part of their Play Sun Smart program (est. 1999).

The Jays graciously hosted many folks from Save Your Skin Foundation and Melanoma Network of Canada in their Community Clubhouse Suite for their game against the Cleveland Indians on July 2, 2016.

They donated numerous tickets to the #NotJustSkinCancer team, 25 of which, Save Your Skin Foundation gifted to Toronto youth. It was a pleasure to watch all the little ones run the bases after the game, frolicking with “Ace” the Blue Jay mascot, on what is known as Jr. Jays Saturday.

In the Community Clubhouse Suite, the participants of the video, their families, and fellow volunteers enjoyed an afternoon of delicious ballpark snacks, soft beverages, and an unparalleled view of the game-winning Toronto Blue Jays.

We were comfortably seated on cushioned benches in the shade to watch the game, with a gentle breeze keeping us cool in the open-air Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome). We even got to meet a few Blue Jays Alumni! It was the first Toronto Blue Jays game for a few family members – little to say, the bar was set very high for their future game experiences.

Prior to the game, the Jays Care Foundation arranged for a segment of the #NotJustSkinCancer video to be played on the big screen. In full volume everyone could hear about the importance of raising awareness for melanoma skin cancer; a powerful moment for those involved.

Tearful hugs were exchange as many of the melanoma patients interviewed in the video were reunited. There were feelings of mutual respect for the gravity of the topic and the gratitude felt to be present in the moment.

As a Spokesperson for Save Your Skin Foundation, I would like to thank the Toronto Blue Jays and Jays Care Foundation for sharing the message #BeyondTheBallpark that it is important to #PlaySunSmart. Play Sun Smart – and LIVE sun Smart. It is #NotJustSkinCancer

 On a personal note, I would also like to thank Kathy Barnard and the Save Your Skin Foundation team for allowing my family and I the privilege to attend the game of behalf of Save Your Skin. Because of you I was able to treat my Mother and Step Dad to an afternoon of fun and family. They are huge baseball fans and they were thrilled to experience such fine accommodations.

I was happy to represent #NotJustSkinCancer via Save Your Skin Foundation, while able to give some love back to the family who loves me and has cared for me throughout my melanoma journey. It gave us an afternoon to remember that we would not have had otherwise.

Thank you SYSF and Toronto Blue Jays – a winning team!

A very special thank-you to Roche for funding this skin cancer awareness video! With your support, the messages of the video can touch the lives of many battling skin cancer.

Natalie Richardson, July 2, 2016

 

 

 

 

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May is Melanoma Awareness Month. This is serious!

mam

I still can’t believe how often I hear “it’s just skin cancer”. Although awareness of skin cancer has increased over the last five years, skin cancer and melanoma rates in Canada continue to rise. I continue to read posts on social media that say things like “in the sun too long today #skincancerhereicome”. In fact we just launched a campaign around this, which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/eZiBnB-B8-g

As a stage 4 melanoma survivor, I find these posts shocking and sad. Skin cancer is a serious disease and is the most common type of cancer. It is also one of the most preventable. Over 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year, more than 5,000 of which are melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancer. In 2016 it is estimated that 1,050 people will die from melanoma.

As an outdoor athlete (I was a professional baseball player for many years), I was outside all the time – and I wasn’t aware of the risks of harmful UV rays. And I learnt my lesson the hard way. In 2003 I was diagnosed with melanoma and in 2005 I was given only six months to live. Fortunately, I gained access to a new treatment through a clinical trial that would end up saving my life. So this is my call out to other outdoor athletes, outdoor workers, outdoor enthusiasts – anyone enjoying the outdoors. Have fun in the sun – but make sure you’re the sun safely.

Prevention plays an essential role. Skin cancer is caused by overexposure of the skin to UV radiation. The most common sources of UV radiation on the skin are the sun and artificial tanning beds. Though skin cancer is preventable and often treatable if caught early, it remains the most common form of cancer in Canada. Save Your Skin Foundation will be posting daily sun safety tips throughout the month on its social media pages.

Early detection increases survival. Moles, spots and certain growths on the skin are usually harmless, but not always. That is why it is important to examine the skin all over your body once a month, and have a physician check your skin once a year.

Look for the following “ABCDE” warning signs:
Asymmetry: Do the two halves not match if you imagine drawing a line through the mole?
Borders: Are the edges uneven, scalloped or notched?
Colours: Is there a variety of shades (brown, red, white, blue or black)?
Diameter greater than 6mm: Is the mole the size of a pencil eraser or larger?
Evolution: Has there been a change in size, shape, colour, or height? Has a new symptom developed (such as bleeding, itching or crusting)?
If you detect any of these warning signs, see a physician promptly. It is particularly important for you to select a physician who specializes in skin cancer and is trained to recognize a melanoma at its earliest stage.

Lets start a new conversation around sun safety and prevention. It’s not just skin cancer. #NotJustSkinCancer

– Kathy Barnard, Stage IV Melanoma Survivor

Save Your Skin Foundation-Web Optimized-17

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unBeach Party!

Missed the 2016 unBeach Party? Catch up through the photos on our Facebook page here:

PARTY PHOTOS

UNBEACH STUDIO PHOTOS

And make sure you get your tickets for the 2018 Gala!

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Don’t miss the party of the year at the Vancouver Aquarium on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. #unBeach

Save Your Skin Foundation’s unBeach Party will raise funds for skin disease and skin cancers on Wednesday, May 18th at the Vancouver Aquarium. This first annual party for 300 guests takes place during Melanoma Awareness Month and will include themed cocktails and canapés, an exclusive silent auction, beach volleyball, entertainment, a surprise guest host – and all to the beat of our unBeach playlist (which will be available for download next month!).

The 2016 unBeach Party’s goal is to raise enough funds to roll out a critical awareness campaign on sun safety to schools throughout Canada and to support other important 2016 patient support initiatives. Funds raised at the 2016 unBeach Party will ensure better awareness, prevention and detection of skin disease and skin cancers within elementary schools across Canada.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. It is also one of the most preventable. Over 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year, more than 5,000 of which are melanoma, the mostly deadly form of skin cancer. There are more new cases of skin cancer each year than the number of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers COMBINED!

Skin cancer is caused by overexposure of the skin to UV radiation. The most common sources of UV radiation on the skin are the sun and artificial tanning beds. Though skin cancer is preventable and most often treatable, it remains the most common form of cancer.

For 2016 unBeach Party sponsorship inquiries, tickets or questions, please contact Karran at karran@saveyourskin.ca or call 1-800-460-5832.

Space is limited, get your tickets today!
Eventbrite - The unBeach Party

EVENT DETAILS

Don’t miss the party of the year! #unBeach

Date: May 18, 2016
Location: Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way
How to Get There: The Vancouver Aquarium is located in beautiful Stanley Park. Directions and parking details can be found here
Attire: Business casual beach attire

Tickets
Individual tickets are $100 and a group of 10 tickets is $1,000. Partial tax receipt issued after the event. To purchase tickets, please contact Karran Finlay at karran@saveyourskin.ca or call 800-460-5832 or purchase online here.

Event Details

6:30 pm Party Starts!
Silent Auction, Beach Volleyball, unBeach Playlist Beats, Sunscreen Sampling and more!
7:30 pm Special Guest Welcome
9:30 pm Raffle Draw

Silent Auction

Silent auction items to be listed soon!

Raffle

Raffle prizes to be announced soon!

Sponsorship

The Save Your Skin Foundation invites you to partner with us as a sponsor of The unBeach Party. We offer monetary sponsorship involvement at a variety of levels. If you would like to discuss a sponsorship opportunity, please contact:

Karran Finlay
Save Your Skin Foundation
Tel: 778-988-8194
Email: karran@saveyourskin.ca

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