Garden City Dermatology

Mollie’s Fund recently partnered with The Garden City PTA Health and Safety Committee to present a district wide May Sun Safety Program for GC Public Schools. Health Committee Chairs Jen Schmitt and Beth Spirakas, along with Maggie Biggane, developed a unique program to educate Garden City School students and parents about skin cancer prevention.

Jen and Beth used grade-level PTA meetings to explain to parents the necessity of learning sun-safe behaviors. The schools websites were tailored to include age-appropriate skin cancer resources that parents could easily facilitate. Second-graders received EPA’s workbook, Mission: SunWise. At the end of the week, students who returned the completed workbook earned a free homework pass! On May 25th, a Garden City Middle School sixth-grade assembly featured The Dark Side of the Sun, a video created and produced by Mollie’s Fund. Dr. Ted Daly, M.D., FAAD, FSPD, FASD of Garden City Dermatology engaged students in a Q&A session about skin cancer. Students were encouraged to share the lessons learned in their assembly with parents and friends. Tenth-grade health classes viewed short videos that included Mollie Fund’s “Free Killer Tan” and “Dear 16-Year-Old Me” from the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund. Garden City High School Spanish classes completed translations of “Se ha examinado la piel recientemente” (Have you checked your skin lately?). Throughout all the schools, Mollie’s Fund posters were displayed to encourage sun safe behaviors. Mollie’s Foundation is donating sunscreen dispensers to both the Middle School and the High School. All Garden City parks are also recipients of these free dispensers. Sunscreen accessibility increases use and fosters sunscreen application habits, ultimately saving lives and medical costs.

For more information about the article, visit: www.molliesfund.org.