By Cody R. Barnett, MRA Director of Communications

It’s easy to think of sunscreen when you are lounging by a pool, but did you know that it’s important to protect yourself and those you love every day of the year? That’s why MRA partnered with the Melanoma Action Coalition (MAC) to create #SunSavvy365, a social media campaign that reminds us to protect our skin whether we are making sand castles or snowmen.

Being #SunSavvy365 — or every single day, rain or shine — is critical to reducing your risk of developing melanoma. It is estimated that about 90% of all skin cancers, including melanoma, are directly related to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Sun safe behaviors are critical to reducing the estimated 91,000 who will develop melanoma this year.

The turn-key campaign includes over 100 pre-written social media posts (with images) and templates for a press release, email announcement, and a printable postcard.

“Anyone that has lost someone to melanoma, and has decided that they want to be involved in the fight to put an end to this horrible disease, knows how important it is to get the message out, that sunscreen saves lives,” says MAC President Neil Spiegler. “SunSavvy 365 makes the public aware of the fact that the sun is just as dangerous in the winter as it is in the summer. It provides everyone with some simple common-sense steps that can drastically reduce your chances of developing melanoma.”

The campaign was conceived and developed by a small working group consisting of MAC members and MRA staff who came together monthly to establish the brand, create the look and feel, and then to flesh out the collateral. The result is an easy-to-use, freely available toolkit that anyone can use to get the word out about sun safety.

“We are thrilled of our deep partnership with the Melanoma Action Coalition and its member organizations,” said MRA President & CEO Michael Kaplan. “This truly was a collaborative effort that will reach many people with the information they need to make better choices about sun safety.”

Do you want to get involved with #SunSavvy365? You can download the free and easy-to-use toolkit here.

This post was originally published by the Melanoma Research Alliance. It is republished with permission.