Make a Difference this Melanoma Awareness Month
By Renee Orcione, MRA Digital Engagement & Communications Manager | 24 April 2023 | Allies & Partnerships, Events, Prevention
Observe Melanoma Awareness Month with MRA!
Melanoma Awareness Month, held each May, is an opportunity to join forces with other melanoma advocates to raise awareness of melanoma, the importance of early detection, and the many ways to practice sun safety and skin cancer prevention.
While it is true that the many new treatments and methods of detecting melanoma developed over the last decade are improving survival, more research is still critically needed.
The Melanoma Research Alliance has an exciting month of activities planned for May - and we hope you can join us! Read more to learn about all the ways you can get involved and make a difference this upcoming Melanoma Awareness Month.
Thriving Together: Melanoma Research = More Tomorrows
Double your impact and give the gift of more tomorrows this Melanoma Awareness Month. When you donate to MRA throughout the month of May, your contribution will be doubled thanks to a generous donor who has offered to match all donations up to $300,000.
Every day, researchers are hard at work seeking answers to the many questions that still exist in melanoma. With the support of our many generous donors, partners, and advocates, MRA-funded investigators have been behind every major breakthrough in melanoma research since our founding in 2007. That has translated into 15 FDA-approved treatments that have transformed what it means to be diagnosed with, treated for, and living with melanoma. More funding for this critically needed research translates into more tomorrows for patients and their loved ones.
While we recognize the incredible progress made, we also acknowledge that too many families are still saying goodbye too soon. Join us this May as we continue to raise critical funds for more research and more tomorrows.
100% of every donation made to MRA goes directly to research, without administrative, development, or other fees, because of the ongoing generosity of our founders! MRA has been recognized with Charity Navigator's Highest Four-Star Rating, and MRA also maintains a Platinum Seal of Transparency on Guidestar.
Step Up for Melanoma is Back!
Are you ready to step up for melanoma?
Join us for this virtual community-building, fundraising, and awareness campaign that challenges participants to walk 10,000 steps a day, every day, to benefit the Melanoma Research Alliance throughout May.
Are you up for the challenge? Join Step Up as an individual or gather your friends, family, or coworkers to make a team!
Check out our 2023 Participant Toolkit and Q&A and don’t forget to join our Step Up Facebook Community.
Additional MRA Programming Throughout May
MRA has created a Social Media Toolkit to help you raise awareness of melanoma and all of the exciting programs we have planned throughout May!
May 1 – Save Our Skin Day by La Roche-Posay at Hudson Yards
When caught early, melanoma is highly curable. And while treatments for late-stage melanoma are improving rapidly, the prevention and early detection of melanoma are still the best treatment options. That’s why taking steps to prevent melanoma and to identify it early are key!
Toward this goal of detecting melanoma earlier, La Roche-Posay and MRA are joining forces on Melanoma Monday (May 1st) from 8AM to 6PM to provide free skin cancer screenings by a board-certified dermatologist. Stop by the Vessel at Hudson Yards to get checked and take home some free sunscreen and additional goodies!
– Melanoma Monday Virtual Town Hall with MRA’s Dr. Marc Hurlbert & Stephanie Kauffman
Learn the latest about MRA, including information about who we are, our mission, and the important work we support, at this interactive town hall and meet & greet on May 1st at 12PM ET with MRA’s CEO Dr. Marc Hurlbert and COO & President Stephanie Kauffman.
– MRA to Announce 2023 Research Grantees
In recognition of Melanoma Awareness Month and Melanoma Monday, MRA, the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, will announce its 2022/2023 grantee cohort. MRA-funded investigators represent the brightest minds working to advance melanoma prevention, timely diagnosis, and treatment.
Learn more about the exciting slate of grants funded!
May 1 – May 5 – Ask the Expert: Melanoma Detection & Non-Invasive Imaging
Head over to MRA's online community, the Melanoma > Exchange, where we will be hosting an Ask the Expert with Dr. Alexander Witkowski from May 1st through May 5th.
Dr. Witkowski, a medical dermatologist specializing in the early detection of skin cancers (particularly melanoma) and other skin conditions, is the Director of the Skin Cancer Imaging Center at Oregon Health & Science University, where he leads the first Skin Cancer Imaging Center in the Western United States in the implementation of virtual skin biopsies with reflectance confocal microscopy cellular imaging. He is also the Founder of Sklip Inc. – a health tech company that is advancing patient-centric remote skin cancer triage using deep machine learning and AI.
May 3 – Melanoma Advocate Connection: Meet Leah Adams
Join MRA’s Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement for this intimate conversation with Leah Adams, melanoma advocate, survivor, and caregiver, on May 3rd at 2:30PM ET, to discuss her own experiences with melanoma as a patient and caregiver, sun safety tips, and more.
May 10 – Skin Cancer Screening & Health Fair at the U.S. Capitol
The American Academy of Dermatology Association in cooperation with the Congressional Skin Cancer Caucus and partnering organizations, including the Melanoma Research Alliance, are hosting a Skin Cancer Prevention Health & Screening Fair. At the event, dermatologists will conduct free skin cancer screenings open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
When: Wednesday, May 10th from 10:30AM-1:30PM
Where: Rayburn House Office Building, The Gold Room (2168, 1st floor)
May 18 – Melanoma Research Update with MRA’s Science Team
Connect with MRA's Science Team this Melanoma Awareness Month! Learn the latest updates in melanoma research in this interactive event hosted by Drs. Joan Levy, Tanisha Jackson, and Rachel Fischer.
May 23 – Melanoma Story Swap
Your story is a powerful way to share your experiences, find meaning, and give back – particularly when it comes to melanoma. During this virtual interactive session, we invite everyone touched by melanoma to join, share their story if comfortable, ask questions, and bask in the power and connection of the melanoma community. The event will take place on May 23 at 7pm ET and will be hosted by MRA’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Joan Levy and Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement Cody Barnett, MPH.
*Registration is highly encouraged.
May 26 – Don't Fry Day
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day (May 26th) as “Don’t Fry Day” to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention and to encourage everyone to protect their skin as they head outdoors to kick off the summer season.
Join us in promoting this important campaign with your own community with the easy-to-use Don’t Fry Day toolkit! The toolkit includes dozens of messages, images, infographics and more that you can use on your own social media and beyond.
May 31– Melanoma Advocate Connection: Meet J.D. Dunkin
Join MRA’s Cody Barnett, MPH, Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement on May 31st at 2pm ET, for this intimate conversation with J.D. Durkin, a melanoma survivor and advocate to discuss his own melanoma journey, the importance of early detection, sun safety tips, and more.