This is the happy face of a proud Girl Scout earning her Gold Award. My daughter, Zooey, spent a good part of the year working on her final Girl Scout project for her Gold Award. Zooey’s project focused on the education of skin care awareness and melanoma prevention, the disease that we lost my dad to a couple of years ago.

She worked closely with Bluet Sup to promote education during a paddle board event on Lake Lewisville. Zooey educated and encouraged the community to wear sunscreen for skin protection while passing out swag bags filled with sunscreen, lip balm, hats. Her event helped race money for donations to the Melanoma Research Foundation to help prevent melanoma. She had tremendous support from my dad’s dermatologist, Southlake Dermatology, her dance studio, Ballet Conservatory, S2S Functional Performance, Inspire Yoga and of course Bluet Sup who will continue promoting sunscreen use before water activities.

Zooey says, “People should be scared out of their minds about Melanoma. Learning that this cancer is caused by unprotected exposure to the sun for long periods of time should inspire people to take precautions.” When my dad was still alive, Zooey interviewed him and learned that they can be safer from the sun by wearing hats, protected clothing and sunscreen. The danger of Melanoma is that it can be fatal if it’s not treated quickly. It is scary that there is no cure for Melanoma, that’s whey prevention at a young age is imperative.

Zooey’s goal was to support skin care awareness and thought of paddle boarding because it’s an outside activity where the skin is exposed.

Zooey said, “I wish I could turn back time and make my grandfather safer from the sun by telling him to wear a hat and sunscreen. It is scary that there is no cure for Melanoma, that’s why prevention at a young age is imperative. I hope that people will start to protect the ones they love by encouraging them to wear sunscreen so they don’t get Melanoma like my grandfather.“

The sun shines everywhere, not just the beach. It’s important to stay diligent and protect your skin in every season and every age. Making sure that the issue of skin care awareness is made a priority to everyone who is exposing their skin to the sun was the goal. Zooey mentions in her speech that wearing sunscreen is the best protection. Zooey says, “If people can realize how important it is to take care of their skin EVERY time they’re exposed to the sun, then maybe they won’t get melanoma like my grandfather.”

SPF is your BFF. Please wear sunscreen!