It has been a busy and exciting summer for our camp program. Over 77 camps across Ontario including Camp Ooch, Camp Robin Hood and Ronald McDonald House, are participating in MNC’s award-winning Screen Me™ Sun Aware™ Camp Program. Camps are enthusiastically working away to implement sun safety best practices for all staff and campers this summer season. Now, while our program has been piloted and based in Ontario, it is also accessible to camps outside the province that want to improve their sun safety practices. Visit www.screenme.ca for more information on how to become a Sun Aware Certified Camp.
Our fabulous NEW Sun Safety Sing a Long with The Fuddles was also successfully launched and is being used to encourage proper sunscreen use in the camps. It was released on social media channels, played at the Argos vs. Ti-Cats Home Opener Game on June 25th, incorporated in our Screen Me™ Sun Aware™ Camp Program’s Online Sun Safety Toolkit, and recently promoted in a camp program press release with positive feedback on catchiness and graphics all around. Thank you to Roche, Astra Zeneca and Fuse Health for help with the development and launch of this new sun safety initiative.
The Screen Me™ Sun Aware™ team also got a chance early this summer to visit Camp Robin Hood, and celebrate their excellence in sun safety behavior at a Shade Sail Unveiling Celebration. Camp Robin Hood received a UV protective ‘Shade Sail System’ generously donated by Shade Sails Canada, which included a plaque presentation and cake and ribbon cutting ceremony. The shade structure will provide a shaded, safe area adding even more protection for the campers and staff to escape the sun’s rays during camp seasons. Thank you again to the Douglas Wright Foundation for being our major contributor to the program annually and supporting us with our sun safety youth education dissemination.
Award Winning Program for Public Education
Also early on this summer, Annette Cyr, Chair and Founder and Alexa Cain, Executive Director of the Melanoma Network of Canada attended the Canadian Dermatology Association Conference on June 24th in Fredericton, New Brunswick to accept the 2017 Public Education Award in the Not-for-Profit category for our amazing Screen Me™ Sun Aware™ Camp Program. The program was recognized for its contribution in teaching young campers good sun safety habits, which they will then carry into adulthood.
Photo: 1. Bev Unger and Pearl Bell, Health Educators, Camp Robin Hood. Brydon Roe, CEO, Shade Sails Canada. Howie and Sari Grossinger, Owners/Directors, Camp Robin Hood 2. Alexa Cain, Executive Director, Melanoma Network of Canada, Scott Back, Sustainable Land Use Manager, Rouge National Urban Park, Parks Canada 3. Pearl Bell, Health Educator, Camp Robin Hood with campers 4. Dr. Sam Hanna MD, FRCPC Secretary and Chair of the Membership and Awards Committee, Canadian Dermatology Association with Annette Cyr, Chair and Founder, Melanoma Network of Canada
