Current Newsletter

Winter 2011

Message from the Foundation!

Despite the wide fluctuations in the weather these past few months, the Foundation has been consistently spreading its message about enjoying outdoor activities by adopting a SunSmart lifestyle.  And it’s not just your skin we are concerned about.  In fact, the same melanin skin pigment that causes cancer is also present in the eye—and if melanoma strikes here it is often with more lethal results.  Toward that end, the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation rolled out Look SunSmart, a program that encourages the proper use of sunglasses to protect one’s eyes and surrounding area from UVA and UVB damage (see story below).

Looking in the mirror is a great way to notice changes in our bodies, but what about those places we don’t always see on ourselves?  Salon professionals, physical therapists and others can now receive training on recognizing the signs of melanoma and other skin cancers on their clients (see story below).  Many of us already think of our hair stylists as “lifesavers,” but now alerting a customer to a suspicious mole could potentially be a true lifesaving move.

Worthy programs such as these and our other initiatives including Team SunSmart, Ski SunSmart and local Skin Cancer Screenings have the ability to reach large audiences and educate them about the importance of prevention and early detection of melanoma.  Knowledge is power and an essential tool in combating this debilitating disease.  We hope that you will help us continue to bring these unique, awareness programs to the community by supporting us with a generous year-end donation.  Donating is simple—it’s just a click away from this page.  

As a 100% all volunteer organization, we also appreciate donations of your time—whether you are interested in volunteering for a specific project or simply want to communicate your thoughts and ideas to us.  

Remember to bundle up this winter, dress for the elements, wear your sunglasses and apply your sunscreen—even if only your nose is showing.  We wish you a very joyous holiday season and a Happy New Year.

On the Ray-dar:

- Places in the Sun Gala coming June 7, 2012

- Look SunSmart has eye-catching appeal

- Pro SunSmart helps salon professionals protect our back(sides)

- RFMF welcomes new board member

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Inside RFMF

Places in the Sun Gala Coming June 7, 2012

Mark your calendars because our Places in the Sun Gala promises to be a magical evening with lively entertainment, celebrity appearances, gourmet cuisine and spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline.  We hope you will join us on June 7, 2012 at Maritime Parc restaurant in Liberty State Park, Jersey City.  The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of our awards of distinction—our way to celebrate and acknowledge those who champion our cause.  The evening will be hosted by the very versatile and talented Jim Axelrod, CBS news correspondent and author.  We are thrilled to announce that serving as Honorary Chairs for the gala are brothers Monte and Avery Lipman, CEO and President (respectively) of Universal Republic Records.  Monte and Avery are long-time friends of the Foundation and, despite their hectic schedules, are very generously donating their time to our outreach efforts.  Look for invitations to this exciting event in the early spring.  We can’t wait to see you there.

The “Eyes” Have It

Though sunglasses have long been a fashion staple, evidence shows that they now play a crucial role in protecting our eyes from damaging UV rays.  The same melanin skin pigment that causes melanoma is present in the eye and sadly can be a primary site for melanoma—often with more lethal results.  Toward that end, the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation--in partnership with the Sunglass Hut store in Deptford, NJ—rolled out Look SunSmart, a program that encourages the proper use of sunglasses to protect one’s eyes from UVA and UVB exposure.  To provide maximum protection from UV light, eye doctors recommend wearing sunglasses that have broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection and also ones with wraparound frames to block light from the sides.  Make sure you grab those sunglasses before heading outdoors.  In addition to regular dermatological exams, the Foundation also recommends regular eye exams including a screening for melanoma.

Participants in the Look SunSmart event at the Sunglass Hut were given information about the risk factors of melanoma of the eye , tips on proper use and care of protective sunglasses, and encouraged to get regular eye exams.  The VISIA Complexion Analysis machine was onsite to give participants a clear picture of the damage already done to their skin—and potentially their eyes.  Due to the overwhelming success of Look SunSmart, the RFMF hopes to launch a national program in the near future. 

They’ve Got Our Back

Looking in the mirror is a great way to notice changes in our bodies, but what about those places we don’t always see on ourselves?  Now, through our training program Pro SunSmart (formerly Check It Out!), salon professionals, manicurists, athletic trainers and others will have the ability to recognize signs of melanoma and other skin cancers on their clients.   Developed in cooperation with Memorial Sloan Kettering, Pro SunSmart is a natural fit with our mission to educate everyone about early detection and prevention of melanoma.  With one training session, salon professionals are taught the basic signs of melanoma and other skin cancers using the ABCDE method to recognize suspicious moles.  Warning signs to look for in a mole are: 

•        Asymmetry – One half doesn’t look like the other half
•        Borders – Uneven, notched or fuzzy
•        Color – More than one color or shade
•        Diameter – Greater than ¼ of an inch
•        Evolving—Changing over time

Whether it’s during a shampoo and styling or a manicure and pedicure, salon professionals have the opportunity to visually examine parts of a client’s body that often go unnoticed.  Most people don’t get to see their scalp, behind their ears or bottoms of their feet, but hair stylists and manicurists do. As such, they can act in their clients’ best interest by identifying suspicious moles and advising them to see their dermatologist. Take a look at news segment on CBS.

"Melanoma of the scalp and neck represent 6 percent of all melanomas and accounted for 10 percent of all melanoma deaths in the United States from 1973 to 2003," Elizabeth E. Bailey, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston reports. 

Salon professionals, armed with the right information, are empowered to save lives by taking steps to act as the first line of defense. For more information about Pro SunSmart, click here. 

RFMF Welcomes New Board Member

The Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation is pleased to announce that Julie C. Mason of Glen Ridge, NJ, has joined our Board of Directors and will serve as our communications liaison.  A long-time friend of the Festa family, Julie has been working with us for the past year serving as newsletter editor, gala committee member and handling various community and private sector correspondence for us.  With more than 20 years’ experience as a freelance writer and editor, as well as a dedicated community volunteer, Julie will help spread the word about our mission and make sure that our voice is heard in the community.     

Melanoma Milestones

·      Determining whether a mole is a potentially life-threatening melanoma is tricky business, leading to both under- and over-diagnosis. Now, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have designed, developed and studied a new diagnostic staining test they say can provide a novel measure of whether a mole is clearly cancerous or benign with the potential for expanded use across all cancers.

Sun Sensibilities:  Smart Tips for a Winter of Outdoor Fun

         ·      Do it every day!  Apply sunscreen, that is, no matter whether the sun is out or not. 

         ·      Reapply your sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) every 2 to 4 hours, and 30 minutes prior to hitting the slopes.

         ·      Cover up!  Wear a ski hat and/or ski mask and don’t forget to wear sunglasses or goggles.

         ·      Stay hydrated, moisturize and apply lip balm with an SPF of 15.

                                       ·      Have fun, but just be SunSmart—even in the winter sun!

Rays Your Sun IQ

·      During the winter, the sun's rays hit the Earth at a shallow angle and are more spread out than during the summer.

·      The long nights and short days of winter prevent the Earth from warming up.

·      The sun might feel weaker during winter months but damaging UVA radiation remains constant from dawn to dusk, every day of the year.

·      Clouds do not protect you from the sun’s damaging rays.

  Make a Difference Support The Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation

Ski SunSmart® Hits the Slopes in Colorado

With the snow-capped mountains of Vail, Colorado serving as the backdrop, the Ray Festa Melanoma Foundation kicked off its National Ski SunSmart®  Program on the ski slopes this March.  Over two days, RFMF distributed more than 35,000 tubes of free sunscreen samples and educational information about living SunSmart to enthusiastic and receptive skiers and area visitors.  In coordination with CarniVail, and under the direction of RFMF national board members, local volunteers committed to promoting the SunSmart message by manning booths at the base of the mountain, as well as at rest stops along the way.  The RFMF volunteers were greeted enthusiastically by locals as well as visitors enjoying their time in the Vail area.  During the Ski SunSmart event, a survey was conducted on ski cancer and melanoma awareness testing participants’ knowledge of the reflectivity of the sun off of the snow and the effects altitude has on increasing exposure to UV rays.  Many survey participants were surprised to discover that a change in altitude significantly changed a person’s exposure to harmful UV rays. For example, for skiers over 8,000 feet above sea level their exposure  to UV rays increased by 40 percent.

The volunteers were engaged in heartfelt dialogues with melanoma survivors as well as family and friends of individuals who were affected by the disease.  This survivor group was particularly appreciative and became vocal crusaders for our mission.  The event was a resounding success with local print, radio and television coverage and has led to the creation of a Colorado RFMF Chapter. See RFMF on Vail Morning TV

Team SunSmart® in Play with 376 Teams

Thanks to the RFMF’s outreach efforts, 17,000 New Jersey student athletes were more aware of and better protected from the sun’s damaging effects.  With a balanced mix of private, public and parochial schools representing 17 of New Jersey’s 21 Counties, Team SunSmart succeeded in its efforts to build an awareness campaign to change the daily habits of teens. Applying sunscreen on a regular basis is now the rule rather than the exception before every practice and game across the state.  To help drive the message home, RFMF is sponsoring a video contest to encourage teens to communicate to each other the message of how to play in the sun while doing so the smart way.  Videos should be fun and lighthearted, but emphatic in its delivery.  Details about the video contest can be found on our Facebook page or at www.rayfesta.org.

GRHS Skin Screening a Success!

After two successful screenings at Montclair High School, RFMF decided to expand its reach into neighboring Glen Ridge.  On May 19, more than 150 students and staff members were screened by the medical staff of The Dermatology Group, led by RFMF Medical Director Dr. Daniel Groisser. Of those screened, about 17% were advised to seek additional consultations for suspicious moles with a board certified dermatologist.  Throughout the day, more than two dozen volunteers ushered students in and out of screening pods and helped disseminate information about the warning signs of and ways to prevent skin cancer.  With the screening coming on the heels of the introduction of the Team SunSmart program, Glen Ridge High School was abuzz with enthusiasm for receiving this potentially lifesaving information.

Melanoma Milestones