St. Joseph Shade Structure Dedication

The Missouri Dermatological Society Association (MDSA) is pleased to announce the Association's continued support to shade structures across Missouri as a way to raise awareness about skin cancer.

On September 26, 2019 MDSA leadership held a dedication ceremony for a newly constructed share structure in St. Joseph, Missouri at the Campus Family YMCA. Made possible by a grant from the American Academy of Dermatology’s Adopt-A-Shade program, the shade structure in St. Joseph will protect a number of residents each day from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. 

The Missouri Dermatological Society provided the funds for the Campus Family YMCA’s shade structure. Board-certified dermatologist and MDS president Milan Anadkat, MD, FAAD, was present at the ceremony and shared a few words about the importance of sun protection in preventing skin cancer. Also in attendance was the County Commissioner Ron Hook and board-certified dermatologist Melody Stone, MD, FAAD, a friend of the YMCA who helped the organization obtain this important donation.

“Providing this shade structure is incredibly rewarding,” said Dr. Anadkat. “Children are especially vulnerable to the damaging effects of the sun because of the time they spend outdoors. It’s great to see the community work together to protect our youth and teach healthy sun care habits, starting at an early age.”

The Adopt-a-Shade Program is part of the AAD’s SPOT Skin Cancer™ campaign to reduce the incidence of skin cancer by educating the public about effective skin cancer prevention tips. To learn more about the Shade Structure Program or for ways to prevent and detect skin cancer, visit SpotSkinCancer.org. 

A select number of photos from the event are below. The rest can be found by following this link.