By Steve Weisman
I grew up on the farm in the 50s and 60s, and most of my time was spent out in the sun. Back in those days, there was little thought of danger and exposure to the sun. We never thought about UV radiation that can lead to skin cancer. The only reason I ever wore a cap/hat was because the mid-summer sun was so hot! Of course, I spent a lot of time fishing in the hot summer sun, and that would fry my skin even more!
It wasn’t until the late 70s that we began to learn more about the dangers of the sun. By the 1980s, I began to see spots on my face and my arms, so with the encouragement from my wife, I began seeing a skin specialist. It was then that I began to address what the sun had done to my skin over the first 35 years of my life. Plus, I began to always use sunscreen recommended by my skin specialist that would protect my skin from further damage. Luckily, I’ve been able to take care of things since. Now, I harp on my middle-aged kids and my grandchildren. Oh, and I write stories!
The statistics tell it all
Other people are not that lucky. According to the American Academy of Dermatology one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime and 700,000 Americans develop squamous cell carcinoma each year.
Another statistic from skincancer.org., shows one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Even more scary, more than two people die of skin cancer in the United States every hour. Having five or more sunburns doubles the risk for contracting melanoma. However, when detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent. AND adhering to what skin specialists tell us now, we can drastically lower the negative numbers.
These numbers mean that we all probably know someone or even ourselves who have had melanoma. Caught early, it’s certainly curable. In the past several years, more and more people are battling the sun, using more precautions with special UV clothing, better sunscreen, etc. Unfortunately, as statistics show, melanoma remains a huge issue.
It, obviously, can strike any of us. Locally, melanoma struck home for John Walz, a longtime educator in the Spirit Lake schools, when his wife Joy died of melanoma on February 16, 2015 at the age of 48. Out of the grief over her loss, John and his children Morgan, JP and Wesley took it upon themselves to remember Joy and to help others fight melanoma through the Joy of Life Foundation.
Joy of Life Foundation
The Joy of Life Foundation was founded in 2017 with the goal of giving back and showing the same benevolence and goodwill to those who are seeking help or are experiencing a time of need. A second goal is to help inform the community of just how serious melanoma can be to a person and family.
One way of meeting these goals has been for The Joy of Life Foundation to partner with 100+ Women that Care and Bright Guard to place Bright Guard Dispensers at beaches and outdoor locations throughout northwest Iowa. The free sunscreen will not only make it much easier for anyone to access sun protection and apply before basking in the sun, but the SPF 30 lotion will also protect against the risk of developing skin cancer down the line.
John says, “The Joy of Life Foundation is about family, friends, fun, and, most of all, Giving Back to your community! You can give back in different ways, by giving money or giving your time, or both.”
The foundation is continually reaching out to individuals, businesses and organizations on ways to get the dispensers and sunscreen at more locations. The dispensers are located in three different northwest Iowa counties (Clay, Dickinson, Emmet), along with Glidden in Carroll County. At the same time, the foundation is always looking to expand to other counties.
People can reach out to Joy of Life by emailing John Walz at walzy5@gmail.com or by going to the Joy of Life Facebook page or the Joy of Life website (https://joyoflifeia.org).
In memory and a celebration
Each fall for the first six years, a special Joy of Life Celebration took place. The first annual Joy of Life Celebration open to the public occurred on August 6, 2017 at Boji Bay. For the next five years, the celebration was held on a Saturday evening in early October at the Dickinson County Expo Building with good food, special music and silent auction items with all proceeds going to help fight melanoma! At various times during the evening, the activity would stop for a special “educational melanoma” message with John providing the audience with facts and ways to beat melanoma.
“After six years, we are going to change things up in 2023. With our sponsorship support and approval, we are moving our evening activities to the Okoboji Store, which is a very popular restaurant with room for lots of people. We are excited for this change. The date is now Thursday, August 10, and everything will begin about 7 p.m.,” notes John. “We want to make this both a fun night and a meaningful one as we battle against melanoma.” The evening will include food for purchase and silent auction items (including a signed basketball by ISU head men’s basketball coach, T. J. Otzelberger). Free will donations are accepted with all proceeds going to the Joy of Life goal of giving back and showing the same benevolence and goodwill to those who are seeking help or are experiencing a time of need.
More information will come out as the date draws closer. Go https://joyoflifeia.org for updates.
SCHEELS donation
Earlier this year, Shawn Greiner (a graduate of Okoboji High School), an employee at SCHEELS of Sioux City presented John Walz with a $500 check in support of the Joy of Life Foundation. With the presentation, SCHEELS sent an explanation of the donation. “For over 100 years, SCHEELS has been a leader in giving back to our communities and those in need. The SCHEELS Gives Back Program provides SCHEELS associates with the opportunity to give to a need in the community that they are personally passionate about, to give to an individual in need or to participate in a random act of kindness.”
It also explains the WHY…”The act of giving makes people happy, promotes social connection, evokes gratitude and is contagious! We hope this gift brings those important aspects in life to both our associate and to you.”
The bottom line
Really, safety in the summer revolves around common sense, the proper sun safety precautions and by being alert to the weather conditions. Enjoy the summer sun but be sure to make smart common-sense decisions. One more thing…as with the Joy of Life Foundation, help others by giving back.
(Photos submitted)
Shawn Greiner (L), a representative of SCHEELS in Sioux City presents John Walz with a $500 check for the Joy of Life Foundation.
Sunscreen dispenser at Arnolds Park Amusement Park.
JP Walz places a sunscreen dispenser.
(poster announcing) 7th Annual Joy of Life Foundation Celebration
A list of places that sunscreen dispensers are located.
Always a lover of butterfies, Joy Walz, who died of melanoma on February 16, 2015, is the inspiration for the Joy of Life Foundation.
