Safe Fundraising in The Sun

Although fundraising is important for your child to raise money for their school or activity, these upcoming summer months can be long, hot and dry. Being outside can be detrimental to your child’s health. Make sure that your child is fully protected from the sun to provide an engaging and fun fundraising experience.

Here are some tips to keep your child fully protected and staying healthy during the summer months:

Make sure your child has sunscreen. Being exposed to the sun for too long can have harmful effects on your child’s skin. The human eye cannot perceive it, but natural sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) photons that can penetrate the skin and in the long run cause skin cancer. Sunscreen acts like a bulletproof vest that deflects the UV rays before inflicting damage on your child’s skin.

Did you know? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and the number is how long you can stay under the sun. Look out for this number on the label of sunscreen bottles to make sure you’re buying the appropriate sunscreen for your child.

Give your child plenty of water. Make sure your child has a water bottle. Have your child drink water before and after doing any strenuous activity; drinking enough water can prevent your child from getting dehydrated.

Did you know? Without water, your body would stop working properly. Water makes up more than half of your body weight and a person can't survive for more than a few days without it. 

Buy your child a pair of sunglasses. Just as how the sun’s UV rays can be harmful to skin, it is also harmful to eyes and can lead to age-related eye problems. Visit your eye care professional for the best quality and warranty eyewear for your child. Beware of inexpensive child sunglasses because they can pose other unwanted risks such as containing lead or non-durable frames.

Did you know? Human eyes contain a small blind spot where the optic nerve passes through the retina. Our brains use information from the other eye to fill in the vision gap so it is rarely, if ever, noticed.

Have your child take frequent breaks to go under a shade. The sun is at its strongest peak from between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. If your fundraising event takes place between these hours, have your child take breaks in shaded areas.

Did you know? Light from the Sun reaches Earth in around 8 minutes!

Your child's safety is always the number one priority. Follow these steps and make sure your child is receiving proper care throughout the coming summer months!