State Rep. Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) (fourth from left) presents Northwood Elementary School fourth-grade student Grace Anderson a certificate for winning the Sun Safety Poster Contest sponsored by the Indiana Academy of Dermatology. Anderson won first place in the kindergarten through fourth-grade category, earning a $1,000 cash prize for her school and a $100 gift card. Pictured from left to right is Northwood principal Erin Bechtold, fourth-grade teacher Regina Anderson, Grace Anderson, Mayfield, and Dr. Carrie Davis, past president of the Indiana Academy of Dermatology.

Mayfield: ‘I scream, you scream, we all scream for sunscreen’

STATEHOUSE (June 11, 2019) – State Rep. Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville) recently presented Northwood Elementary School fourth-grade student Grace Anderson a certificate for winning the Sun Safety Poster Contest.

The Indiana Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association sponsored the contest to promote the use of sunscreen. Anderson won first place in the kindergarten through fourth-grade category, earning a $1,000 cash prize for her school and a $100 gift card.

“Congratulations to Grace for this well-deserved recognition,” Mayfield said. “She is a very talented artist and used this opportunity to promote good skincare habits early in life. Her poster is creative and shows how important sunscreen and hats are in preventing damage to our skin.”

According to Dr. Carrie Davis, board-certified dermatologist and past president of the IAD, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is the second most common form of cancer in young women aged 15-29. Skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of skin color, and exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning devices is the most preventable risk factor for all forms of skin cancer.

In 2018, the IAD and the ASDSA assisted in crafting a new law passed by the Indiana General Assembly allowing students in schools to bring and use sunscreen without needing a doctor’s note and without having to store it in a special location such as a nurse's office.

“We believe that students should have the right and ability to protect their skin from the sun during recess, field trips, and other outdoor activities if they choose,” Davis said. “The goal of the Sun Safety Poster Contest is to educate K-12 students and their educators about the new law and how to protect their skin from ultraviolet damage.”

Anderson’s poster entry is titled, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for sunscreen.”

To learn more about the initiative or how to protect your skin, visit www.inacademyofderm.org or www.asds.net/SUNucate.

Elizabeth, 6th Grade, 1st Place

Grace Anderson, 4th Grade, 1st Place

View the rest of the Sun Safety Poster entries