Glimmerglass, Bassett Help Deter Cancers
By Giving Employees Wide-Brimmed Hats
COOPERSTOWN – Once again this season, The Glimmerglass Festival has teamed up with the Bassett Cancer Institute and Bluemack Creative Marketing/Promotional Products to combat heat-related illnesses, sunburn and skin cancer by providing staff with wide-brimmed hats.
The partnership was inspired by Bassett Cancer Institute radiation oncologist Dr. Naoyuki G. Saito, who says, “I’m a big fan of the Glimmerglass Festival and this was something easy to do that would protect their staff from the sun, as well as increase the community’s awareness about how to enjoy the summer season sensibly.”
Liz Mott, concessions manager, says, “Since last year when the program started, I have noticed that our staff has been very appreciative of the important information given by Dr. Saito on the rise of skin cancer among our youth. Glimmerglass employees who work outside take precautions and use the hats given so generously by Bassett Healthcare, Glimmerglass Festival and Bluemack.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- An estimated 4,200 people in New York State will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2014
- Melanoma is responsible for about 75 percent of all deaths from skin cancer
- About 459 people in New York die of melanoma every year
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends taking precautions such as using 30+ SPF sunscreen, covering as much skin as possible with high thread-count clothing, and protecting the vulnerable neck and face area with a wide-brimmed hat, like the ones distributed to the Festival’s employees.
Saito supplemented the partnership’s gift this summer with a presentation to the Festival’s staff on the importance of proper sun protection.