National Non-Profit Organization Commemorates Skin Cancer Awareness Month

In commemoration of national Skin Cancer Awareness month, The Cancer Crusaders Organization and SunSavvy, LLC, have partnered to host the 2006 SunSavvy® People's Choice Awards.

Provo, Utah (PRWEB) May 5, 2006 -- In commemoration of national Skin Cancer Awareness month, The Cancer Crusaders Organization, home to the national Skin Cancer Awareness ribbon symbol, and SunSavvy, LLC., a company specializing in providing sun protection products to dermatologists and high-risk melanoma patients, have partnered to host the 2006 SunSavvy® People’s Choice Awards.

Since its incorporation two years ago, The Cancer Crusaders Organization has kicked off national Skin Cancer Awareness month in May by recognizes various individuals and organizations within the skin cancer community, and this year have partnered with SunSavvy, LLC., to host the 2006 SunSavvy® People’s Choice Awards, which is an opportunity for dermatologists and patients alike to pay tribute to their peers for their work on behalf of skin cancer prevention/sun safety education.

"It is an opportunity to learn more about the progress others have made in the fight against skin cancer, as well as an opportunity to show our appreciation to those who share our passion for this work,” says Kathleen Moncrieff, vice president of The Cancer Crusaders Organization. “To us, here at Cancer Crusaders, we are skin cancer educators and it only makes sense that we tackle this disease by combining forces [with others in the field.”

Karen Graham, founder and president of the Billy Foundation, agrees. “At the Billy Foundation, we would agree with the Cancer Crusaders, in fighting melanoma is a real team effort.” Graham, who lost her 22-year-old son, William, to a malignant melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer 10 years ago, says the motto her colleagues at the Billy Foundation have embraced is together we will fight this disease. The Billy Foundation was named “Organization of the Year”.

After sending nearly 150 emails last month requesting nominations, both The Cancer Crusaders Organization and SunSavvy, LLC, received more than 83 nominations the letter by sending in nominations for various categories such as “Cancer Crusader of the Year”; “Dermatologist of the Year”, and “Business of the Year. Winners were chosen based: 1) Number of votes/nominations received; 2) Quality and strength of the nominations that were sent (how well they described the nominee’s accomplishments, and, moreover, illustrated their devotion to the cause; 3) if the nominee hadn’t recently been recognized with an award.

“It was a daunting, if not difficult task determining who was ‘deserving’ of recognition, when there are many deserving,” says Danielle White, co-founder and president of The Cancer Crusaders Organization. “My co-founder and I are deeply passionate about fighting skin cancer but we aren’t the only ones who have devoted their lives to this work, and it was evident after reading the nominations that skin cancer has touched all of us.” White, who is also the founder and CEO of SunSavvy, LLC.

“The SunSavvy® awards have been an incredible way for us to better connect with the community we aim to serve,” says Ryan Mendenhall. “We’re selling a product on www.sunsavvy.net, but we started this business so we can better address the needs of those touched by this very common, yet very preventable disease.” Mendenhall, a partner at SunSavvy, LLC, serves as chief technical officer/webmaster. “The SunSavvy® awards have also been a nice way for community to say ‘thanks’ to their peers. This will definitely be an annual tradition for us.”

For more information about SunSavvy, LLC, and The Cancer Crusaders Organization, or to schedule interviews with any of the 2006 SunSavvy® People’s Choice Award winners (listed below), please send an email to Danielle White.

Cancer Crusader of the Year (educator/activist): Valerie Guild, president of the Charlie Guild Melanoma Foundation in California. Valerie's tireless efforts in lobbying for mandatory sun safety education legislation throughout the US and in building tissue banks with the US Military, Huntsman Cancer Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Institute, reflects the very essence of cancer crusading. Valerie started the Charlie Guild Melanoma Foundation in January 2004 in honor of her 26-year-old daughter, Charlie, who passed away due to malignant melanoma. www.charlie.org

Organization of the Year: The Billy Foundation, also located in California. Karen Graham founded the Billy Foundation in honor of her son, William, who lost his battle with melanoma 10 years ago. He was 22-years-oid. Karen has been instrumental in having several pieces of legislation passed in California, including "Billy's Law", which advocates sun safety education and regulating indoor tanning. www.bfmelanoma.com

Dermatologist of the Year: Dr. Gregory G. Papadeas. Dr. Papadeas will be hosting a public forum/conference on the steps of the State Capitol in Dever, Colorado, with the Honorable Governor Bill Owens (who is currently battling skin cancer and is Dr. Papadeas' patient) on May 4, 2006 in honor of national Skin Cancer Awareness month.

Advocate of the Year (survivor): Catherine M. Poole, founder of the Melanoma International Foundation. Catherine, who was diagnosed with melanoma while pregnant with her now teenage son, is also the author of Melanoma Prevention Detection & Treatment (Yale University Press). Catherine, who runs MIF, from her home in Pennsylvania facilitates a 24-hour melanoma support hotline and hosts the annual "Safe From the Shade" Marathon in Philadelphia, Seattle, and Phoenix. www.melanomaintl.org

Student of the Year: Casi M. Bryant, a nursing student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, has been devoting her spare time to giving a series of sun safety presentations to elementary and high schools across the State of Tennessee.

Most Outstanding Teen of the Year: Miss Teen [Lehi Utah International Kaylan Elaine Judd, a 15-year-old who is traveling to elementary across the State of Utah promoting her platform "Don't Lose Your Smile: Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention." Inspired by her dad, a two-time skin cancer survivor, Kaylan has created a variety of worksheets, tools, and even a coloring book to help Utah school children understand how living at higher land elevations increases their risk for skin cancer. www.kaylanscrusaders.com

Event of the Year: The American Academy of Dermatology's "Melanoma Monday 2006: Guinness Book of World Records Challenge" which urges everyone in the dermatology field to perform the largest number of skin cancer screenings in a single day (May 6, 2006) and thus set the Guinness Book of World Records. www.aad.org

Hospital/clinic of the Year: Southern Maine Medical Center Women's Health Division for their work in building a sun safety education program for new mothers. Jill LeBlond, the driving force behind this program, has worked diligently to create sun safety care packages to give to new mothers and thereby help them teach their children about the importance of sun safety, from day one, in order to make it a lifelong habit. www.smmc.org

Media Outlet of the Year: Shape Magazine for their May 2006 issue devoted to skin cancer prevention, which featured three amazing skin cancer crusaders, including 26-year-old Natalie Camille Johnson, of Provo, Utah, who is the creator of the National Skin Cancer Awareness Symbol©. www.shape.com

Business of the Year: Del-Ray Dermatologicals of Johnson City, Tennessee. Del-Ray Dermatologicals, with Crown Laboratories are the manufacturers of Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. Del-Ray CEO Jeff Bedard attends every meeting the American Academy of Dermatology conducts with its National Coalition for Sun Safety, and spearheads many events, particularly sponsoring free skin cancer screenings, with NASCAR and Major League Baseball. Del-Ray Dermatologicals is well-known for its generous support of many skin cancer organizations, and has continually donated hundreds of thousands of sunscreen samples to schools throughout the country. Blue Lizard Sunscreen is said to be so effective (and fun to slap on) that many prominent athletes, including Olympic Silver Medalist Picabo Street, are big fans of it. www.bluelizard.net

© 2006 The Cancer Crusaders Organization.

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