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Last updated on Tuesday, June 26, 2018
(BLOOMINGTON) - The Bryan Park and Mills Pools will be stocked with free sunscreen for the next five years thanks to a partnership between the Bloomington Health Foundation, the Bloomington Parks Foundation and the City of Bloomington Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Bloomington Health Foundation is funding the project through its High-Impact Community Health Solutions Initiative where it is gifting over $1M to the Bloomington Community. Formerly known as the Bloomington Hospital Foundation, the Bloomington Health Foundation recently changed its name and direction and made the major gift announcement at their June 5th launch event.
"This gift to the Bloomington Parks Foundation and the Parks department is consistent with our long-standing tradition of supporting cancer prevention initiatives in our community. The Bloomington Health Foundation is proud to provide a simple but crucial tool to protect our children, our neighbors, and ourselves against the harmful rays that can cause skin cancer," said Bloomington Health Foundation President and CEO Jonathan Barada.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer and that 9,500 people are diagnosed each day. Research from the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown that daily sunscreen use cuts the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in half.
"We are grateful to the Bloomington Health Foundation for this essential gift," said Mayor John Hamilton. "People in Bloomington love our city's abundant parks system; this gift will give everyone the chance to pursue their active lifestyle with enhanced safety."
Bloomington Parks Foundation Board Member Debbie Lemon added, "The Bloomington Parks Foundation is very grateful to the Bloomington Health Foundation for this very generous commitment to keeping our pool visitors safe from harmful effects of the sun. It is a gift that will protect our children and their families for years to come."
Barada concluded, "We believe that targeted, philanthropic health-related giving is critical towards obtaining the goal of a healthier life for all of us, at every stage in our lives. We look for others who share our passion such as the Parks Foundation and the Parks Department, who are willing to tackle challenges with us and who believe that standing together is the way to change the community for the better."
To help promote this gift to the community, the Bloomington Health Foundation also handed out 1,000 mini bottles of sunscreen at the 35th annual Taste of Bloomington on Saturday.
For more information visit bloomingtonhealthfoundation.org/news/our-focus-2018
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