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EPA Announces Southeastern Recipients of Sun-Safety Awards

Release Date: 06/29/2005
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(Atlanta, June 29, 2005) Sea Gate Elementary in Naples, Fla., Lighthouse Christian Academy in Brandon, Fla., Eagle Point Elementary in Weston, Fla., and the McWane Center in Birmingham, Ala., were recognized this week for protecting children from the damaging effects of overexposure to the sun. The third annual U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SunWise Awards recognized schools and other organizations for extraordinary efforts in teaching sun safety to prevent skin cancer, cataracts, and other health effects caused by too much sun.

Sea Gate Elementary won the 2005 Helios Award for providing shade on school playgrounds. The Helios Award recognizes schools and other organizations for their work changing school policy, involving parents and the community, erecting shade structures on school playgrounds, allowing sun screen to be worn in school and providing sun safety information to the community.

Lighthouse Christian Academy and the McWane Center are the 2005 Shining Star Award winners. The Shining Star Award recognizes educators and other proponents of children's health issues who are effectively implementing SunWise by reaching a large number of students, reporting Ultraviolet Index data to EPA's Web site, sponsoring poster contests, or developing curriculum. 

EPA's SunWise Program enables and encourages K-8 schools, science and children's museums, and other organizations to educate teachers, children and parents about sun protection. In the United States, one person dies every hour from melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.  With proper sun protection, however, this disease is largely preventable. For more information about the awards and the SunWise program, visit the EPA’s Web site at https://www.epa.gov/sunwise/recipients.html

CONTACTS:

Dawn Harris-Young, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8421
Laura Niles, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8353
Christian Lewis, EPA Media Relations, 404-562-8395