Girl Scouts Offer Sun Safety Tips

Girl Scouts Offer Sun Safety Tips

Cautions skin cancer is leading cause of cancer deaths for women ages 25-29

WASHINGTON- With summer fast approaching, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital offers tips on how to protect your child from sun damaging rays. It is part of a new patch program called Sun Safety, which will be offered to Girl Scout troops and at many of the Girl Scout summer day camps. Each year over one million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer; and melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is the number one cancer killer of women ages 25-29.

The Sun Safety patch program educates girls about the unseen, but dangerous ultra-violet rays from the sun. At Girl Scout day camps, Teen Girl Scouts will teach younger girls about the causes and types of skin cancer, and how to protect themselves. Using special beads and nail polish, girls make bracelets and manicures that once exposed to the sun's ultra-violet rays turn colors. According to Girl Scout Council Acting Executive Director, Lidia-Soto Harmon, "Our Girl Scout patch program is a visual reminder to the girls that the sun rays can harm you. When their nails or beads change colors, they should have on sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. We want girls to know that they must take appropriate precautions to prevent skin cancer." 

The program, sponsored by the Gendell Family Foundation, is designed to educate and help prevent the progression of skin cancer.  "We are proud to sponsor the Sun Safety patch that helps teach children at an early age about sun safety," said Marion Gendell, President of the Foundation.   "We know what it means to lose a family member to skin cancer, which can be prevented with education and simple safety measures.  We want girls to be advocates about sun safety to their peers and families."

The Girl Scout Sun Safety patch program offers the following tips:

1. Encourage your children to play in the shade and avoid outdoor activities when the sun's rays are the strongest (10:00 am - 4:00pm).
2. Always wear sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
3. Reapply sunscreen frequently over all exposed skin, especially after swimming, perspiring, or drying off with a towel.
4. Wear a hat with a 4 inch brim to protect areas often exposed to the sun such as the neck, ears, eyes, nose and scalp.
5. Wear clothing to protect as much skin as possible and sun glasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.
6. Medication like antibiotics can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Talk to your doctor about any medication your child takes and additional precautions they should take when outdoors.

      (Source: American Cancer Society)

To visit a Girl Scout day camp Sun Safety demonstration, contact Nancy Wood at 202-274-3304.

About Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital

Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC) is a non-profit organization with over 90,000 members, including 63,000 girls in 4,900 troops throughout the District of Columbia, eight counties in Maryland, ten counties in Virginia and seven counties in West Virginia. With the help of more than 27,000 dedicated volunteers, the generosity of corporations and foundations, and our popular Girl Scout cookie program, GSCNC helps girls from kindergarten to 12^th grade become leaders through a wide range of fun and educational activities. GSCNC is headquartered in Washington DC, with offices in Frederick and Waldorf, Maryland; Lorton, Leesburg and Manassas, Virginia; and Martinsburg, West Virginia.  To get involved, visit our website at http://www.gscnc.org/.

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