Expanding Our Sunscreen for Siouxland Project

Last summer the June E. Nylen Cancer Center started a project to help prevent skin cancer. We provided sunscreen dispensers to public locations for people to use and apply free sunscreen. We started by putting these dispensers in four different locations and this spring we have added 15 more to our list.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer. If you have skin cancer, it is important to know which type you have because it affects your treatment options and your outlook (prognosis). Melanoma was the top 5 cancer diagnosis in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota and is the deadliest type of skin cancer. The Iowa Cancer Registry predicts 1,070 new cases of Melanoma in 2021 with 500 being females and 570 males.

COVID-19 did have an impact when first launching this project, but since golf courses were seeing a record number of golfers that is where we decided to start. So, we put sunscreen dispensers at Green Valley Golf Course, the Dakota Dunes Country Club, and the Sioux City Country Club.

Now that pools are starting to open back up, we have expanded to provide the sunscreen dispensers to all pools and splashpads in Woodbury, Plymouth, and Dakota counties. That includes locations in Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, Kingsley, Moville, Correctionville, South Sioux City, Remsen, and LeMars.  The goal is simple – make sunscreen accessible to help our community protect their skin to prevent sunburns and reduce future skin cancer.

Less than 1/3 of the population uses sunscreen and 1 out of 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. There are however ways to help prevent skin cancer. The American Cancer Society suggests a “Slop! Slap! Slip!” method. You slop on sunscreen, you slap on a hat, and then you slip on a cover-up shirt. By using these steps, you are sure to have a safe yet fun summer!

P.S. This project partnered perfectly with our efforts with the Sioux City Career Academy Health Science Pathway students who created sun safety videos for elementary and middle school students. Read more HERE.