(April 23, 2007—Atlanta, GA) — Under stormy skies and powerful winds, a team of dedicated volunteers representing the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS) reached out to Atlanta families at the recent Dogwood Festival with the message of sun safety for all ages, skin types and seasons. Festival visitors, drawn to the dynamic WDS educational tent for its multi-faceted features, learned more about their own skin, the risks of sun exposure even under cloudy skies and how everyone in the family can make sun safety a way of life. Local WDS members provided free skin cancer screenings, sun damage assessments, sun safety education and children’s activities as part of the 15-city, 3-year WDS campaign, Families Play Safe in the Sun, of which Atlanta was the tenth stop.

This award-winning community service outreach was hosted locally by WDS Board member and private practice dermatologist Rutledge Forney, MD, who is an Associate Clinical Professor at Emory University.

The Women’s Dermatologic Society’s national sun safety educational campaign is made possible through a $1,000,000 grant from the 3M Foundation. This family and youth-oriented community outreach recently won the prestigious Gold Triangle award from the American Academy of Dermatology. To date, more than one million families have been reached directly through the WDS campaign held at family events across the nation, and nearly 100 million media impressions have been created since the program’s inception in 2005.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin issued a formal commendation to the Women’s Dermatologic Society in recognition of the local members’ volunteer efforts to raise awareness about sun safety and skin cancer prevention at the Dogwood Festival.

Highlights from the Atlanta event include:

• 34 volunteers conducted 143 cancer screenings, with 31% of individuals referred for further diagnosis/biopsy.
• Festival visitors received 14,000 free sunscreen samples.
• Atlanta WDS volunteers provided a cumulative total of 184 hours in community service to promote sun safety among families in the region.
• 2000 ultraviolet-sensitive, color-changing bracelets were distributed to fascinated schoolchildren who could see first-hand that sunscreen is necessary even with cold and overcast weather.

The following WDS members volunteered their time to present this local event: Rutledge Forney, MD (local host), Jennifer Buckley, MD, Annie Chiu, MD, Jodi Ganz, MD, Christine Glavey, MD, Amy Kim, MD, Maggie Kottke, MD, Mitra Mofid, MD, Paula Nelson, MD, Mac Rachel, MD, Irena Spektor, MD, Jan Warner, MD, and Jamie Weisman, MD. Additional support was provided by Daisy Burris, MA, Janet Jones, Nancy Weisman, MA, Valencia Morris, MA, Barbara Andrade, Vanessa Smalls, Bukola Ibouye, and Janet Jones. Corporate volunteers providing hands-on support included: Stiefel representatives Stephanie Bagwell, Lauren Core, Jeron Evans, Kevin Fitzgerald, Patti Gebelein, Carl Mamay, Jordan Sneed, Shane Sundholm, Terri Sundholm, Robin Terasaki, Wayne Wilson and Madison Wilson with Graceway representatives Leslie Valentine and Mark Needle.

In addition to generous funding from the 3M Foundation, product donations were provided by Cabana Life, Coolibar; Del-Ray Dermatologicals; Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories; Ortho Neutrogena; Procter & Gamble; Skyrad; and Starberry, Ltd.

The WDS campaign draws from its 1,300 members nationally to provide volunteer support in local communities to reach out to diverse populations to heighten sun safety awareness and healthy skin practices among families. The Families Play Safe in the Sun tour continues with its next stop at the Manayunk Arts Festival in Philadelphia, June 23-25, 2007.

For more information, visit www.womensderm.org or call 1-877-WDS-ROSE (937-7673). A 60-second public service announcement promoting sun safety is available for viewing by visiting the website, www.playsafeinthesun.org

• Pre-Event Details (Also Available In PDF)
  
  
• Pre-Event Volunteer Details
  
  
• MORE INFORMATION: 1-877-WDS-ROSE (937-7673) | www.womensderm.org
  
  
• A 60-second public service announcement promoting sun safety is available for viewing here

For further information about Women’s Dermatologic Society, visit: www.womensderm.org www.playsafeinthesun.org Contact Kerry Parker, Executive Director, at 1-877-WDS-ROSE The Women's Dermatologic Society supports the careers and professional development of women dermatologists. The mission of the Women’s Dermatologic Society is to help women in dermatology achieve their greatest personal and professional potential by striving to: foster, promote, and support women’s issues in dermatology; identify, train, and recognize women leaders in dermatology; and provide a forum for developing relationships.