Students get hats, skin cancer lesson

Students at Progress Elementary School in the Central Valley School District received a lesson in skin and sun safety last week from Advanced Dermatology.

May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and the doctors came to tell kindergarten students about using sunscreen and wearing hats while they are enjoying time outside, part of the clinic’s Stop the Burn campaign.

To emphasize its importance, the clinic’s representatives read “Skin Sense” and passed out hats the students can keep.

“Accumulation of ultraviolet radiation is the cause of skin cancers, and prevention is the key,” said Dr. Joel Sears. “Even on a cloudy day, kids wearing hats during recess helps communicate the sun awareness message to protect your skin from cancer.”

Last year, the clinic visited the Central Valley Kindergarten Center.

Camp Fire award

Paige Salveti, a senior at Central Valley High School, has received the 2012 Camp Fire Wohelo Award. She’s one of only nine high-schoolers in the country to receive this highest achievement for youth award in Camp Fire USA. The Wohelo Award is given to youth in grades nine through 12. Salveti has been involved with Campfire USA programs for 13 years.

Wohelo Award winners pick three issues that require leadership, teaching, serving and a public action role to work on. Salveti did an awareness program for Camp Fire members about the annual candy sale and where the proceeds from the sale go. She also hosted a Halloween haunted house where visitors donated food to local food banks, and she completed outdoor instruction training at Camp Sweyolakan, which she then shared with volunteers and staff from other children’s organizations in an effort to help children work together outdoors.

After graduation Salveti plans to study social work at Eastern Washington University.