June 21, 2007
Proclamation: SunWise Awareness Day
WHEREAS, healthy people and healthy communities are the centerpiece of a strong and vibrant society; and
WHEREAS, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and as an advocate for protecting children’s health and the environment, Martin Luther King Jr. County is encouraging students, teachers and families to learn about sun safe behavior at school and at home ; and
WHEREAS, although this region hosts many days of cloudy skies, harmful UV rays still penetrate through those clouds and it is important to raise awareness among our children that overexposure to the sun can cause cataracts, skin cancer and other adverse health effects; and
WHEREAS, the SunWise Program is an environmental and health education program that aims to teach the public how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun through the use of classroom-based, school-based and community-based components; and
WHEREAS, in an effort to bring sun safety information to the public, the EPA is providing freeSunWise Activity Kits to schools and camps throughout our community so that children can learn about ozone science and how to protect themselves from the harmful effects of UV radiation; and
WHEREAS, SunWise is a program that radiates good ideas through fun, interactive lessons that encourage children to incorporate sun safe behavior into their lifestyles at a young age, so that they can continue to spend active time outdoors while protecting themselves from the sun ; and
WHEREAS, in 2006 this county was designated as the nation’s first SunWise Community and is proud to continue its partnership with the EPA to help families live sun safe, healthy lives;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ron Sims, Executive of Martin Luther King Jr. County, do hereby proclaim Thursday, June 21, 2007 to be
SunWise Awareness Day
in this great county. I encourage everyone to join me in making sun safety a priority – adopt lifelong, preventive sun safe behaviors.