It may have been rainy and overcast, but that didn't dampen the spirits of Nevada Cancer Coalition and Renown Health staff at this year's RenOpen Streets event, Oct. 17 in downtown Reno. The event closed off streets throughout downtown and midtown Reno along a 1.5-mile route to encourage walking and cycling, community interaction, and overall healthy living. The Sun Smart Nevada sunscreen station was at the event route's mid-point and offered up free SPF30 sunscreen along with tips on how to stay sun smart.

Meteorologist Mike Alger, of KTVN News 2 in Reno, visited two Sun Smart Schools this week to teach students about radiation and the effects of the sun on the Earth. Students in the 1st and 2nd grades at Elizabeth Lenz Elementary School in Reno and in 2nd and 3rd grades at Gardnerville Elementary School participated in the presentations.

RAM, short for Remote Area Medical, is an international organization that travels the country and throughout the world providing free medical services with no qualifications. The organization will have two events in Northern Nevada: in Yerington on Oct. 9, 10 & 11, and in Carson City  Oct. 16, 17 & 18.

Sun Smart Nevada went a little bit rock n' roll with a sunscreen station at the Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas. Partners at Dignity Health's St. Rose Dominican Hospitals worked with SSN to host the table, providing free SPF 30 sunscreen to festival attendees along with information on how to stay sun smart. Thanks to the staff and volunteers from St. Rose that managed the station and shared the Sun Smart Nevada message! 

Sun Smart Schools' pilot program is now launched in six schools across Nevada! Garnderville Elementary School has been very active in their support of the program. Project Coordinator Rebecca Whistler visited the school on Sept. 8 to share some of the program's classroom tools with teachers and nurses at the school, and the response was enthusiastic. As part of the program, Northern Nevada meteorologist Mike Alger, of KTVN Channel 2 News, will visit the school on Oct. 13 to speak to students about the sun, the ozone layer, and how to be safe while having fun in the sun.

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Last week at the 2015 Nevada Cancer Control Summit the State of Nevada Health Division along with Nevada Cancer Coalition released the newest edition of the Nevada State Cancer Plan, mapping out goals and objectives in cancer control for the years 2016 through 2020.

Download the new plan and review the previous two plans here.

The 2015 Nevada Cancer Control Summit brings together expert speakers from throughout Nevada and the nation to discuss the latest topics in cancer control. We close out our Summit Speaker Series by highlighting our participants in the Palliative Care Panel Discussion: Veneta Lepera, RN, CHPN, Shelby Adams, RHIT, and a representative from the palliative and support care program at Renown.