UV Protection for Our Active Youth

Aperçu:

**The Need:** Save Your Skin would like to focus on protecting today’s youth from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Statistics show that the incidence rate of melanoma continues to rise in young people. Many parks and public areas lack proper shading to help protect these youth and their families from the sun when it is needed most. There is a need for an increase in sun protection in order to minimize melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer incidence rates. **The Solution:** We would like to begin a movement of sun protection methods being put in place across Canada and plan to start this in Vancouver, B.C. We would like to do this by protecting families and their young ones at one of Vancouver’s most popular water parks; The Variety Kids Water Park at Stanley Park. Being Vancouver’s largest outdoor spray facility it attracts thousands of families during the summer for endless fun in the water and sun. There are currently no sun protective measures in place at this park. We would like to construct 3-5 large shade sails over this water park to help keep our youth protected during times when the UV index is highest and while they are playing their hardest. These shade sails would be constructed over main areas with the large spray spouts, boats, and large rock mountain where kids spend most of their time playing, getting soaked, and spraying water guns. The sails will provide shade from the sun’s harmful rays and help ease the minds of parents by knowing their children are being protected while playing. Endless play in water will wash off or weaken the protection in some sunscreen; these shade sails will help to reinforce protection even after sunscreen may have washed off. Everyone from babies, children, teens, parents and grandparents enjoy this park during summer months in Vancouver. It is extremely important that we help to protect our community from those harmful UV rays and begin to reduce melanoma and non-melanoma statistics across Canada. **About Melanoma in our Youth:** - One bad sunburn during childhood can increase your lifetime risk of getting melanoma by up to 75% - Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old - It is second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old - It is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, causing 75% of deaths associated with skin cancer **About Save Your Skin:** The Save Your Skin Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of melanoma skin cancer and providing emotional and financial support to those dealing with this disease. **Foundation Objectives:** - To provide financial assistance for education, awareness, and treatment - To promote education and awareness of skin cancer - To raise funds to further research treatment options