Eastwood PTO unveils playground shade structure
Feb. 21—When Andi Stewart received her second melanoma diagnosis last year, there was no shade on the Eastwood Elementary School playground where her children enjoyed their recess.
That changes today when the Eastwood Parent-Teacher Organization and Project Sun Safe unveil a permanent shade structure to reduce the risk of skin cancer in students and teachers.
Project Sun Safe, the nonprofit organization Stewart created in response to her second diagnosis, supplies schools with a free program to teach children about sun safety. It provides portable shade units in the form of umbrellas and rolling carts to protect students and teachers at recess. Additionally, it writes grant proposals to fund permanent shade structures on playgrounds.
The organization hopes to equip all 41 schools in Morgan County with sunshade structures.
"Our ultimate goal is to make Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Morgan County the gold standard in sun safety," Stewart said.
The Eastwood Elementary School sunshade is 98% UV rated. It is designed to withstand winds of 105 mph and includes a 10-year warranty. The project cost $12,000 to implement, with the bulk of the cost being labor, concrete and the poles that support the $3,000 protective sail. The families and teachers of Eastwood funded the project through the PTO, with Stewart serving as a liaison between the PTO, the shade manufacturer and the school system.
"I still can't believe it's happening," said Eastwood PTO President Emily Troup. "It's so exciting. Now, the kids will have somewhere to go. Up until this shade, there was a dinosaur on the playground, and that's where students were going for shade."
During Stewart's treatment, she learned the risk of developing melanoma doubles from one bad sunburn during childhood, and that surviving melanoma can cut 20 years off a person's lifespan. Skin cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in the United States and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most cases are preventable.
"All the sun damage I have that's turning into melanoma, I got when I was a kid," Stewart said. "In all of your sun damage that you get throughout your lifetime, 25% comes when you're in elementary school."
When Stewart saw students huddled together under a slide to seek refuge from the Alabama sunshine, she knew she had to act. Her friend Heather Casteel, who also had children at Eastwood, suggested reaching out to their local representative to discuss creating some shade on the Eastwood playground — something the PTO had discussed for years.
"It's exciting that we get to be a part of this, and that my children will be able to reap a benefit of (Project Sun Safe)," said Stephanie Gantt, a board member of Project Sun Safe and Eastwood Elementary mom. "Again, this is a no-brainer."
After Eastwood, F.E. Burelson Elementary of Hartselle City Schools will be the next campus in Morgan County outfitted with shade stations. Project Sun Safe won a $15,000 grant for the Hartselle school from the Alabama Department of Public Health's Shade Structure Program to fund their structures. Only four schools are selected each year. This year, Stewart will write grant proposals for all Title I schools in the Decatur City system.
Stewart, an environmental engineer, created a presentation about sun safety and the harm-reduction effects of shade, noting that the CDC and U.S. surgeon general recommend shade to prevent skin cancer. She enlisted the support of doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers, principals and Decatur City Schools, all of whom advocated for the shades.
Stewart sought the expertise of the Decatur Entrepreneurial Center which directed it to the Community Foundation of Greater Decatur, a group that brings small organizations under their nonprofit umbrella.
When Stewart presented the proposal to state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, president of the Community Foundation, nearly 100 community members signed on to support her sun safety mission. Project Sun Safe was born.
"It's a big deal that they brought us on board because they have a foundation board," Stewart said. "They just take on certain projects. It took a unanimous vote of the board — and we got that."
The Project Sun Safe board consists of four mothers of elementary school students: Stewart, with her environmental engineering expertise; Casteel, finance; Gantt, business management; and Jama Howell, legal expertise.
Stewart, Casteel and Gantt all have children who attend Eastwood Elementary.
"We're all in a position where we're lucky enough to carve out the time to do this," Stewart said. "We all have a heart to do this and have a shared belief that if you have that ability, you should do it."
— audrey.johnson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2437.
