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Michael Schwartz Boston Marathon

Dear Friends,

As many of you know distance running is a hobby of mine and in the past you have generously supported my efforts on behalf of Smile Train, the American Heart Association and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This year I have chosen to run the Boston Marathon in support of Impact Melanoma (www.ImpactMelanoma.org).

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer but unlike most other skin cancers it can invade the body and be fatal if not detected and treated early. In the US approximately 87,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year and almost 9000 patients will die from this disease. The vast majority of these are caused by sun exposure.Living in and raising our families in Florida makes this fact critical for us all to be aware of.

Melanoma is the 2nd most common form of cancer in young people ages 15-29.

IMPACT Melanoma is a national non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the incidence of melanoma through education, prevention and support. IMPACT Melanoma offers a range of educational programs to spread awareness.

Why is this so critical?

A melanoma that is diagnosed in its early stages has the highest chance of being cured (98 %), but more then that prevention through education is the most cost effective treatment for millions of people.

Did you know that 2.5 million teens use tanning booths each year including 35% of all girls age 17? The UV exposure from this is a direct cause of melanoma which can easily be avoided.

IMPACT Melanoma offers a range of educational programs to spread awareness. These programs include Your Skin Is In, a program teaching high school, middle school and college students the importance of protecting their skin and the dangers of tanning; The Skinny On Skin, educating beauty professionals to recognize potential melanomas on the head, neck and scalp of their clients; and Practice Safe Skin, providing free sunscreen to communities for their beaches, parks, sports fields and more. IMPACT Melanoma also offers support for patients and their caregivers through support groups and its one-on-one Billy’s Buddies program. All of these programs are free!

I am reaching out to you to ask your support of my efforts to help these programs of prevention, education and support provided by Impact Melanoma.

I am trying to do this by running the Boston Marathon (26.2 miles) for the Impact Melanoma Team. I have committed to raise $12,000.00 for this cause. I hope that my personal effort and enthusiasm will motivate you all to support and contribute as well.

Please help me support Impact Melanoma by contributing generously to my campaign. Any expression of your support will be greatly appreciated. I suggest $10, $20, $50, $100 or whatever you are comfortable with. All contributions are completely tax deductible. The easiest way to contribute is to go online here at our crowd rise page and click on Donate. Alternatively just send me your check payable to “Impact Melanoma” or if you prefer send me information for a credit card donation.

Many thanks for your support.

Sincerely,

Michael L Schwartz MD

Please donate at :https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/impact-melanoma-boston-2019/michaelschwartz58[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]