Sunscreen dispensers now available at parks
It will be easier to stay safe from the sun in Newcastle this year, once the rash of spring storms abate and it shows itself that is.
Michelle Sweet, a registered nurse with Weston County Public Health, partnered with the Wyoming Cancer Program’s sunscreen initiative by applying for Bright Guard sunscreen dispensers for placement in Weston County, with the approval of Greg Stumpff, the public works supervisor for Newcastle.
Weston County Public Health obtained three dispensers and will be responsible for refilling them. The 1-liter bags, placed in bright yellow dispensers, are filled with Bright Guard broad spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 and water resistant up to 80 minutes, according to the label. One is located by the picnic benches at Centennial Park and another one is placed near the bathrooms at Dow Park. The third will be installed at the ballpark near the Weston County Senior Center as soon as it arrives.
The dispensers were offered to all of Weston County, but Upton declined due to potential vandalism problems. Sweet said that although vandalism is a concern, it was decided to place the dispensers in Newcastle because it benefits the community.
“We’re hoping people will truly utilize it appropriately,” Sweet said.
According to Star Jones, the unit manager of Cancer and Chronic Disease Prevention for the Public Health Division in the Wyoming Department of Health, proper sunscreen usage helps prevent skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States. Additionally, she said in an email to Sweet that Wyoming’s higher elevation increases the risk of skin cancer.
“What better plan than to just get one (sunscreen dispenser),” Sweet said.
She noted that it is easy to head to the park and forget to pack sunscreen. According to Jones, having a dispenser readily available at the park reminds people to apply sunscreen and avoid burning.
“We’re just doing a little teamwork to help prevent skin cancer and make it (sunscreen) more accessible for kids and parents at the park,” Sweet said.
For more information, visit the Weston County Public Health Facebook page or call 746-4775.
