Ribbon Cutting for Sun Safe Augusta Initiative

To combat the rise of melanoma and educate the CSRA about the importance of protecting your skin, the Sun Safe Team from the Georgia Cancer Center is teaming up with IMPACT Melanoma, Augusta Canal Authority, and Unite in the Fight Against Cancer to install and maintain a pilot of five sunscreen dispenser stations for public use.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that have the appearance of any other spot on your body. It can sometimes start as small as pinhead, but will grow larger with time. As it grows, it can spread to other organs in your body, which is why it is so important to do routine skin checks on yourself and make note of any suspicious spots. With regular sunscreen use, a person can reduce their risk of skin cancer by 50%,

The first sunscreen dispenser was unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony at Enterprise Mill. Members of the Sun Safe Team, Augusta Canal Authority, and city leadership were in attendence, including Augusta Mayor, Garnett Johnson. Jorge Cortes, Director of the Georgia Cancer Center, presented Johnson and the city of Augusta a Sun Safety Initiative Award, making Augusta one of the first cities in Georgia to receive this award.

“As one of the first cities, if not the first city, in Georgia to receive a Sun Safety Initiative Award, I believe this sets forth Augusta as an example for sun protection as a component of community wellness across the Southeast. With research showing increasing melanoma incidence rates across the entire Southeast in recent years compared to new regions, it is time to make a change,” said Mitchell Hanson, a Medical College of Georgia student and one of the leaders of the Sun Safe Team. “This program provides the resources for sun protection but also the education and knowledge to make more informed conscious decisions daily about their general health and wellbeing to continue doing things we all enjoy like spending time outdoors.”

There are many factors that play into the rise of skin cancer in our area. Affordability of sunscreen, lack of patient education, and de-prioritization of protection are all things that the Sun Safe team is hoping to combat with their program, ‘Sun Safe Augusta: Safeguarding Skin Health with Sun Safety Education and Public Sunscreen Access’. 

Brenda Santellano, MD; Cortes, MD; Kendall Buchanan, MD; Outreach Coordinators Riley and Maryclaire Regan, and medical students Hanson, Paige Hinkley, and Anderson McNeil, make up the Sun Safe team. They were inspired by IMPACT Melanoma, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the incidence of melanoma in the United States. 

The dispensers will be monitored and upkept by students at the Medical College of Georgia and placed in high traffic areas where people will be outside enjoying the sunshine. This ensures that the sunscreen dispensers are accessible to the community and encourages sunscreen use.

“We are incredibly grateful for the time, dedication, and collaboration from all partners involved in bringing sun safety to Georgia. This initiative is a shining example of what can be accomplished when organizations come together with a shared vision for public health and cancer prevention,” said a representative from IMPACT.

If you or a loved one has a spot on their skin that does not look right, please speak to your doctor.