On June 5 2024 we launch a lovely collaboration with the Save Your Skin Foundation in Canada. Our Check-A-Mole game is communicated via 40 public sunscreen dispensers across Canada. 

Free public sunscreen dispensers are coming to 40 locations across 8 provinces in Canada this summer in the third year of a pilot project to fight skin cancer by making sunscreen more accessible. The initiative is led by Save Your Skin Foundation, a national patient-led non-profit dedicated to the fight against melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and ocular melanoma.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of sun safety while providing equitable access to sun protection by placing dispensers in areas frequented by diverse communities, including individuals and families, as well as those facing socio-economic challenges and those who are unhoused.

“Skin cancer is largely preventable, but not everyone has access to sunscreen,” says Kathy Barnard, stage 4 melanoma survivor and Founder of Save Your Skin Foundation. “In the third year of this pilot, it was important to us that we ensured we were getting sunscreen to marginalized communities where people may not have access to it.”

The initiative began in 2022, when SYSF worked with then medical students Samuel and Karen Farag to launch 10 dispensers across Canada. In 2023, that number increased to 30. So far in 2024, SYSF has plans to launch 40 dispensers across 8 provinces – with more to come.

New this year, SYSF has partnered with Spot the Dot to bring the award-winning educational game “Check-a-mole” to Canada. The dispensers feature a QR code to direct users to the game. This interactive tool educates individuals of all ages on the ABCDE method of early detection for skin cancer, emphasizing the critical importance of early intervention and prevention.

“I had been reminding people to ‘spot their dots’ for several years through my awareness campaigns. However, I realized that not everyone knows how to recognize suspicious lesions on their skin,” says Marije Kruis, melanoma survivor and founder of Spot the Dot. ” That is why I decided to create a game to teach people the ABCDE rule of recognizing skin cancer and to raise awareness of the importance of skin checks. I am thrilled to collaborate with SYSF and launch my game in Canada. The game is free, and anyone with a phone and an internet connection can play it. You don’t even have to install anything. It’s quite fun, I promise you!”

The dispensers are automatic and touchless, and provide free, Health Canada approved SPF 30 sunscreen for anyone who needs it. The dispensers will contain SPF 30 mineral sunscreen, which is a zinc oxide-based sunscreen, free from chemical sunscreen filters, common allergens and toxic ingredients including oxybenzone, avobenzone, retinyl palminate, PEG, parfume, and sodium lauryl sulphate. Click here to view the full list of ingredients.

Applying sunscreen is part of an overall sun-safe way to enjoy the outdoors. First, limit your time in the direct sunlight, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., seek shade, cover up by wearing long sleeves and pants and a wide-brimmed hat. Use sunscreen, specifically one labelled broad-spectrum, SPF 30, protect the lips with lip sunscreen or zinc oxide. Apply 20 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply every two hours or after swimming.

About Save Your Skin Foundation
Save Your Skin Foundation (SYSF) is a patient-led not-for-profit organization dedicated to the fight against non-melanoma skin cancers, melanoma, and ocular melanoma through education, advocacy, and awareness initiatives across Canada. SYSF provides a community of oncology patient and caregiver support throughout the entire continuum of care, from prevention and diagnosis to survivorship. Please visit saveyourskin.ca for more information.