Sun Safety Outreach to Families Takes Flight at the Plano Hot Air Balloon Festival

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Even though higher altitudes mean heightened UV intensity and risks of harmful sun exposure, balloon enthusiasts enjoying the upcoming Plano Hot Air Balloon Festival will be able to “Play Safe in the Sun”, thanks to a team of local volunteers representing the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS), who will promote family sun safety and good skin health habits on September 21-23, 2007.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050505/SFTH074LOGO )

Through the award-winning WDS national campaign, Families Play Safe in the Sun, Board-certified dermatologists and other WDS volunteers from the Greater Dallas area will offer FREE skin cancer screenings, sun damage assessments, educational materials, sunscreen, sun safety giveaways and children’s activities in a dynamic exhibition tent on the festival grounds in Oak Point Park.

WDS member Sarah Weitzul, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, UT Southwestern Medical Center will host this community service outreach, which is designed to promote sun protection and skin cancer prevention for all ages, skin types and seasons. Plano, TX marks the 13th stop of the highly successful 15-city, 3-year national campaign which is made possible by a generous grant from the 3M Foundation.

In recognition of the local WDS outreach, Plano Mayor Pat Evans will formally proclaim September 21 as “Families Play Safe in the Sun” Day in recognition of the local volunteer effort to raise awareness about the importance of family sun safety on a daily and year-round basis for all citizens.

Suzanne Connolly, MD, Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic (Arizona) and WDS Executive Board member and national leader of this community service campaign, states that the mission of “Families Play Safe in the Sun” is “to encourage, educate and empower family members to make sun safety a way of life. We aim to instill good skin health habits and sun protection practices in family members of all ages as part of a daily commitment.” To date, the WDS campaign has directly reached more than one million families at large-scale community events across the nation, and more than 100 million media impressions about family sun safety have been created since the program’s inception in 2005. In 2006, the WDS campaign earned the prestigious “Gold Triangle” award from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Families Play Safe in the Sun at the Plano Hot Air Balloon Festival will take place on:

   —  Friday, September 21, from 5 pm-8 pm   —  Saturday, September 22, from 7 am-10 am and 4 pm-8 pm   —  Sunday September 23, from 7 am-10 am and 4 pm-7 pm.    

All screenings will take place in the Women’s Dermatologic Society booth located in the Sponsor Court in Oak Point Park.

In addition to generous funding from the 3M Foundation, product donations will be provided by Banana Boat, Cabana Life, Coolibar, Del-Ray Dermatologicals, Johnson& Johnson, Ortho Neutrogena, Procter & Gamble, Skyrad and Starberry, Ltd.

The WDS campaign draws from the organization’s 1,500 dermatologist members nationally to provide volunteer support in local communities to increase sun safety awareness and promote healthy skin practices among family members of all ages and skin types. For further information, please visit: http://www.playsafeinthesun.org/ or http://www.womensderm.org/.

The Women’s Dermatologic Society supports the careers and professional development of women dermatologists. The mission of the Women’s Dermatologic Society is to help women in dermatology achieve their greatest personal and professional potential by striving to: foster, promote, and support women’s issues in dermatology; identify, train, and recognize women leaders in dermatology; and provide a forum for developing relationships.

   WHO:    Board-certified Dallas-area dermatologists and other volunteers           representing the Women’s Dermatologic Society.    WHAT:   Families Play Safe in the Sun campaign, offering free skin cancer           screenings, sun damage assessments, educational materials, FREE           sunscreen, sun safety giveaways and children’s activities.    WHERE:  In the WDS booth located on the grounds of the Plano Hot Air           Balloon Festival, Oak Point Park, Plano, TX.    WHEN:   Friday, September 21, 5 pm-8 pm           Saturday, September 22, 7 am-10 am & 4 pm-8 pm           Sunday, September 23, 7 am-10 am & 4 pm-7 pm.  

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050505/SFTH074LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com

Women’s Dermatologic Society

CONTACT: general, Kerry Parker, 1-877-WDS-ROSE, 1-877-937-7673, or NancyFitzGerald, +1-760-333-9296, both for Women’s Dermatologic Society

Web site: http://www.womensderm.org/http://www.playsafeinthesun.org/