09 Jul 2008
SIMCOE MUSKOKA – Young day campers in Simcoe will become hat-makers for a day this summer. The kids will be getting wide-brimmed hats and craft supplies so they can personalize their sun protection while they’re at camp.
It’s part of a program called A Hat is Where It’s At!, developed by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and made possible by a grant from the Canadian Cancer Society (Ontario Division) through the Greater Toronto Area Cancer Prevention and Screening Network.
In all 3,500 children at 44 YMCA and Environment Network camps will be sporting their brightly decorated hats. While they decorate their hats, they will also be getting tips on how to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.
“We felt the kids would be inclined to wear their hats more regularly if there was something fun and personal attached to them,” explained Rebecca Harbridge, a public health nurse at the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit involved with the program.
“Plus, it is a great way to engage them in protecting themselves from too much exposure to sunlight,” said Christine Johnston, the other public health nurse involved in the program.
Camp counselors and staff will be getting into the act as well decorating their own hats – to set a positive role model for the children, Johnston added.
The program also includes day camp staff training to encourage use of sun-safe messages and to adopt sun safety policies. As well, newsletter articles and other promotions will help employees and children’s parents alike develop a better understanding of the concept of sun safety. The Health Unit is hoping that the campaign will help children change the way they get ready for outdoor activities in the summer.
A Hat Is Where It’s At! is a pilot project this year. Harbridge and Johnston will be encouraging more day camps across Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka to adopt the program in coming years.
Keeping your family safe
Sunlight is essential to life, and helps our bodies develop vitamin D. But excess exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun also damages the skin and can cause skin cancer, the most common form of cancer. Here’s how you can protect your family while they are enjoying the summer sun.
- Wear hats that have brims wide enough to shade face, neck and ears from the sun.
- Use sunscreen that carries an SPF rating of 15 or higher.
- Use sunglasses that protect from UVA and UVB.
- Wear clothing made of light, tightly woven, loose fitting fabrics that shade the legs and arms.
- Avoid direct sunlight from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when damaging UV rays are strongest. Seek out shaded areas whenever possible.
More detailed information about sun safety can be found on the health unit’s website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org, or by calling Your Health Connection at 721-7520, or 1-877-721-7520 from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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