Adopt-a-Shade: Working together
By John Stephens, MD
At the Indiana Academy of Dermatology (IAD), we do everything we can to make a difference in our communities, to raise awareness of skin health issues, and to protect our patients. So when our executive council recently found itself with a little leftover funding, it was a no-brainer that we should use it to donate a shade structure through the American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) Adopt-A-Shade program.
We reached out to the AAD, and they provided us with a list of deserving organizations that had applied for shade structure grants. In the end, we settled on Boone Meadow Elementary School in Whitestown, Indiana. Their application was a few years old, and it had been submitted by the mother of a student who suffered migraines worsened by sun exposure. Boone Meadow is a fairly new school, and its playground had little shade—there were trees, but none taller than you or I. There was no place for students at recess to escape the intense midday sun.
The IAD’s donation covered the design and installation of the shade structure itself—all of it handled painlessly by the AAD. And once we got the ball rolling, the school was able to access some additional funding for the project and even a few donations from local businesses. As a result, they were able to lay down a concrete slab beneath the shade and furnish the area with picnic tables. The result is something much more than a little shade at recess. It’s a fully functional space that the school is even able to use as an outdoor classroom. In addition, neighborhood families make use of the playground and shade structure during off hours and weekends, making it truly a community resource.
The finished structure was dedicated in October 2018 in a ceremony attended by the superintendent and school principal, several dermatologists, and other members of the community—including the mother who had submitted the original grant application. The IAD’s membership was happy to see the extra funding go to such good use, and the school was delighted that the structure was finally built. It is easy for the entire community to get behind a program that not only protects kids from dangerous sun exposure, but also raises their awareness of sun safety, setting the stage for lifelong health.
The American Academy of Dermatology is a non-profit professional organization and does not endorse companies or products. Advertising helps support our mission.
Opportunities
