A local non-profit bringing melanoma awareness to the Okanagan will place three “sunscreen stations” around Kelowna as a pilot project for the month of August.

Morgan’s MOLE Patrol, an organization inspired by the death of Morgan Henry Forshner, announced that sunscreen stations will be placed in areas chosen by Mayor Colin Basran.

“I want to be aware of how deadly the sun can be,” said Karen Wells, founder of MMP and mother of Morgan Forshner.

READ MORE: Kelowna doctor warns against tanning as skin cancer rates rise

The sunscreen dispensers are outsourced from California and will carry SPF 30, human-safe, reef-safe and free sunscreen for pedestrians spending the day at the beach, the golf course or the yacht club.

If the pilot project goes well and people respond positively to the initiative, Wells said that her goal will be to eventually place a sunscreen station on every beach in Kelowna.

In addition, she wants to see a 25 per cent increase in sunscreen usage by the time all the stations are placed.

READ MORE: Young Vernon melanoma survivor speaks out about sun danger

Morgan’s MOLE Patrol began when Wells lost her son in 2016 at the age of 33 to melanoma cancer. He is survived by his wife Jenny and their two sons.

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Real talk, some days I struggle with memorial pieces. Not for a lot of the reasons people think, a lot of people think dealing with ashes and hair is odd/weird/creepy whatever you may want to call it but I don’t feel like that at all. The hardest part for me is when I meet customers face to face and hear their stories, hear the pain in their voice as they talk about their late loved one, seeing the tears in their eyes as they try to explain how hard it is.. yesterday was no exception. I met Morgan’s mom, Karen. She broke my heart but also gave me this reminder card. Having worked in dermatology I can honestly say skin cancer doesn’t discriminate, it doesn’t care how old you are, in fact the youngest patient I ever saw with skin cancer was just 19 years old and acquired it from extreme sun exposure and tanning beds! Always check yourself, head to toe and have someone check the hard to see spots like your head, back and bum if needed, also don’t forget to check the bottom of your feet! #morgansmolepatrol #skincancer #melanoma #memorialjewelry #memorial #kelowna #okanagan #ashes #cremationjewelry

A post shared by West Coast Stone Works (@westcoaststoneworks) on Apr 24, 2019 at 7:55am PDT

The family’s goal is to educate people about the disease and help to prevent others from experiencing the same tragedy.

To learn more, go to morgansmolepatrol.wordpress.com.

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David Venn Reporter, Kelowna Capital News Email me at david.venn@kelownacapnews.com Follow us on Facebook | Twitter

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