MISS NJ U.S. INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS WITH ENRIGHT MELONOMA FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT MELANOMA AWARENESS MONTH IN MAY

BIKE OR WALK ON MAY 1OTH TO RAISE AWARENESS

It’s not every day that a pageant queen is able to support a cause so close to her heart.  Miss NJ U.S. International, Rachel Jordan, says she chose melanoma and skin cancer prevention as her platform because of how close to home this illness hit her.

“I was working at a tanning salon when we found out not only my family member, but one of my peers had developed skin cancer,” she shared.  “Although I was aware that my relative’s skin cancer was from exposure to the sun, I was blown away that my twenty-one year old friend had contracted her melanoma from the very tanning booths we were encouraging people to use.”

Having never really thought about sun safety and preserving her skin prior to these life-changing incidents was a wake up call and a chance to make others like her aware of the dangers of not only sun exposure, but also the dangers of tanning.   “You think as a young person you are invincible, and some teens even equate a tan to being to wealthy, popular and pretty. I want to be able to share that the affects of not taking proper precautions for sun safety can lead to long term illness and even death.”

Rachel joined forces with The Enright Melanoma Foundation to be the spokesperson for sun safety and plans to help get the word out about their annual Health TREK Bike/Walk Event.  The Enright Melanoma Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises sun safety awareness in NJ, helps prevent melanoma through education and early detection. The Foundation offers a unique online Sun Safety Certification program which saves lives by educating about melanoma and what you can do to prevent it.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month nationwide, and the Foundation is hosting its 6th Annual Health TREK and Sun Safety Festival on Saturday, May 10h. This family-fun, educational awareness day is open to all ages and features 4 bike routes or a Leisure Walk through scenic park trails, and a post-event Sun Safety Festival.  The event kicks off at Ginty Pool Recreation Complex on South Street, in Morris Township and pre-registration is required.

Online registration for the Health TREK is open for those looking to participate, sponsor or donate to this life saving event. The Foundation also welcomes new vendors to its Sun Safety Festival. Registration fees for bikers/walkers are only $35 for adults and $15 for children 18 and under. Learn more at enrightmelanomafoundation.org or call the Health TREK event hotline at (201) 941-6064.

The Enright Foundation, founded in 1999 is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise sun safety awareness in New Jersey and to help prevent melanoma through education and early detection.  The Foundation promotes sun safety awareness through lectures, skin cancer screenings, sun safety workshops, and online resources, including the Enright Sun Safety Certification ™ program.  To learn more about this organization, please visit www.enrightmelanomafoundation.org.