Sun Safety at Work

JUPITER, FL – November 3, 2017 – The sun is always shining bright in our area... and while that is generally construed as a blessing, it can also be a curse in disguise if you are not taking proper care of your skin.

Jordan Borenstein and Seth Rodgers, two students attending Jupiter High School, understand too well the harmful and irreversible damage that UV rays can potentially inflict on people. Therefore, they recently took matters into action to further promote sun safety and empower their peers and Palm Beach County community members to opt for critical sun-safe choices that lead to healthy living. They achieved this by formulating a business plan dubbed RAY Band, which involves the installation of sunscreen dispensers (RAY units) in county parks and public schools. Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank recognized their efforts and recently awarded Jordan and Seth $8,500 to put towards the purchasing of RAY units through the Richard David Kann (RDK) Melanoma Foundation. InJupiter recently followed up with the pair to gain insight on their current and future plans.

Jordan Borenstein, co-founder of RAY Band

The first RAY unit was donated to the West Jupiter Recreation Center

InJupiter Magazine: How did you come up with this concept of RAY Band?

Jordan: We came up with the concept

of RAY Band because of our involvement with the SAM Club and our hope to spread awareness about Melanoma and skin cancer protection. I am the founding president of SAM (Students Against Melanoma) and Seth is the vice president. We want our peers to realize the risk of sun exposure and the best ways to protect themselves starting now. RAY is the name of the sunscreen dispensers and we like the name RAY Band. SAM and the Sun Smart America program were developed by the RDK Melanoma Foundation based in West Palm Beach, FL. They are a local nonprofit making a huge positive difference in our community.

InJupiter: What made you present this project to Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank?

Seth: Jordan learned about Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank through Leadership Grow Palm Beach County. It made sense to send in an application to make our project better than we ever imagined.

InJupiter: How will your winnings be utilized?

Jordan: Our winnings have been used to purchase 10 RAY units and are being placed around town to help teach our community.

InJupiter: Why is sun-safety conducive to healthy living?

Seth: We have learned that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes. Melanoma is highly treatable and preventable (in most cases) with sun-smart practices. We want the epidemic of skin cancer to be lessened by our efforts to educate.

InJupiter: Where do you see this project starting and taking off?

Jordan: Most recently, RAY Band has donated a RAY unit to the West Jupiter Recreation Center. We see the RAY Band starting at Jupiter High School and spreading to every high school. First, in South Florida, then all of Florida, and then across the country. Jupiter High has teamed up with Dwyer High SAM to pass out sunscreen at community events and beach cleanups. We want to participate in every local event we can to spread the word about sun smart practices. We are working with the Town of Jupiter to become a Sun Smart Town of Excellence.

InJupiter: What is your ultimate goal with this project?

Seth: The goal of RAY Band is to place RAY units in strategic locations around northern Palm Beach County and to participate in community events to educate everyone about sun smart practices. The children have to learn to put on sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and wear sunglasses and hats whenever possible. Skin cancer is a real problem and we need to protect all of South Florida. We need to catch up with sun smart savvy Australia.