One of the ways to protect yourself from the damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun is to seek shade, especially during the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, for many daycare centers, schools and recreational organizations, these hours are prime times for outdoor educational programs and recess. To assist schools and organizations in creating sun-safe educational and play areas, the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy) provides grants for shade structures.
Today the Academy announced the recipients of the 2009 AAD Shade Structure Program grants.
“The Academy is pleased to award grants to these organizations which have outdoor areas in need of shade and that have demonstrated a commitment to sun safety,” said dermatologist David M. Pariser, MD, FAAD, president of the Academy. “Combined, these 34 shade structures will be used by more than 16,687 individuals every day. The Academy is proud to work with these organizations to reinforce the importance of protecting the skin when outdoors.”
The recipients of the 2009 AAD Shade Structure Program grants are:
- Amelia Earhart Elementary, Goddard, Kansas, sponsored by Steven M. Passman, MD, FAAD
- Anthony Wayne Rehabilitation Center for Handicapped and Blind, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., sponsored by Jennifer L. Hobbs, MD, FAAD
- Bay View Elementary School, Monterey, Calif., sponsored by Joseph R. Rheim, MD, FAAD
- Bear Exploration Center, Montgomery, Ala., sponsored by John L. Anthony MD, FAAD
- Buncombe County Schools Foundation, Inc., Asheville, N.C., sponsored by Daniel J. Smith, MD, FAAD
- C.E. Boger Elementary School PTO, Kannapolis, N.C., sponsored by William D. Hoover, Jr., MD, FAAD
- Cherry Hill Education Foundation, Cherry Hill, N.J., sponsored by Emily Miller, MD, FAAD
- Child Care Resources, Zanesville, Ohio, sponsored by John P. Hibler, DO, FAAD
- Columbia Elementary School, Palm Bay, Fla., sponsored by Joseph J. Chanda, MD, FAAD
- Community Action of Northeast Indiana Head Start, Fort Wayne, Ind., sponsored by Thomas W. McGovern, MD, FAAD
- Community Services for Children, Inc., Allentown, Pa., sponsored by J. Greg Brady, DO, FAAD
- Copper Hill Elementary School, Ringoes, N.J., sponsored by Christopher T. Cassetty, MD, FAAD
- Cottonwood Elementary School, Tucson, Ariz., sponsored by John C. Moseley, MD, FAAD
- DuBois Area Catholic School, DuBois, Pa., sponsored by Richard Johnson, DO
- Ed Cody Elementary, San Antonio, Texas, sponsored by Scott M. Henslee, MD, FAAD
- The Family Y, Augusta, Ga., sponsored by Sanders R. Callaway, MD, FAAD
- Friends of West Tennessee School for the Deaf, Jackson, Tenn., sponsored by William P. Teer, MD, FAAD
- Girl Scouts – Dakota Horizons, Sioux Falls, S.D., sponsored by Sarah K. Sarbacker, MD, FAAD
- Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson/Woodbury Parks & Recreation Department, Highland Mills, N.Y., sponsored by Joseph G. Tuchman, MD, FAAD and Steven Wolinsky, MD, FAAD
- Girls Inc. of Jackson County, Seymour, Ind., sponsored by Kevin M. Crawford, MD, FAAD
- Grahamwood Elementary School, Memphis, Tenn., sponsored by Riddell W. Scott, MD, FAAD
- Hillrise Elementary, Las Cruces, N.M., sponsored by Robert J. Segal, MD, FAAD
- LaRue Miller Elementary School, Midlothian, Texas, sponsored by Cathleen P. Bateman, MD, FAAD
- Leominster Education Foundation for Samoset Preschool, Leominster, Mass., sponsored by Thomas H. Cahn, MD, FAAD
- Los Angeles Parks Foundations, Los Angeles, Calif., sponsored by Mary Lee Amerian, MD, FAAD
- Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, Washington, D.C., sponsored by Maria L. Turner, MD, FAAD
- Maryland Avenue Elementary School PTA, La Mesa, Calif., sponsored by Erik O. Gilbertson, MD, FAAD
- Meeting Street, Providence, R.I., sponsored by Charles J. McDonald, MD, FAAD
- Outdoor Discovery Center of Wildlife Unlimited, Holland, Mich., sponsored by Mary Yurko, MD, PhD, FAAD,
- Waccamaw Intermediate School PTO, Pawleys Island, S.C., sponsored by Carl E. Weimer, Jr., MD, FAAD
- Wallace A. Smith Elementary, Ooltewah, Tenn., sponsored by Jeff J. Ligon, MD, FAAD
- Wewahitchka Elementary School, Wewahitchka, Fla., sponsored by Charles R. Kovaleski, MD, FAAD
- Young Families Early Head Start, Inc., Billings, M.T., sponsored by Roberta J. Hawk, MD, FAAD
- Water Conservation Garden, El Cajon, Calif., sponsored by Doyle D. Hansen, MD, FAAD and Michael J. Thoene, MD, FAAD
This is the ninth year that the Academy has offered its Shade Structure Program in which Academy members play an integral role by encouraging local organizations to apply for the grants and by writing letters of support, a requirement for consideration of applications. The program is open to non-profit organizations or educational institutions serving children and teens under the age of 18, for permanent shade structures over outdoor locations which are not protected from the sun, such as playgrounds, pools, eating areas and other locations. The Academy receives support for this program from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company.
Since 2002 the Academy has awarded 174 shade structure grants to organizations across the country. These shade structures provide shade for more than 125,314 individuals.
“This program furthers the Academy’s commitment to reducing the incidence of skin cancer by increasing the amount of shade available and encouraging individuals and communities to incorporate sun safety into their daily outdoor activities,” said Dr. Pariser.
This year, more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. It is estimated that there will be about 121,840 new cases of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) in 2009.
For more information about skin cancer, please visit www.skincarephysicians.com, a Web site developed by dermatologists that provides patients with up-to-date information on the treatment and management of disorders of the skin, hair and nails, and click on “SkinCancerNet.”
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 16,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-DERM (3376) or www.aad.org.
