Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation Honors Rep. Kate Hogan

The Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation (CMPF) honored Representative Kate Hogan with its second annual “Excellence in Melanoma Prevention Award” at its recent spring fundraising event, which involved several Hingham residents.
Attended by more than 300 guests, the benefit was held at Showcase LIVE in Foxboro and included a cocktail reception, an evening of comedy, a silent and live auction, celebrity appearances and more. The evening was hosted by FOX25 Sports anchor, Butch Stearns.

The award recognizes an individual who has provided exceptional service and leadership in the prevention of melanoma through education, research, policy development, legislative action and/or raising community awareness.

CMPF is the only national foundation exclusively focused on preventing skin cancer in children, The fundraiser benefited CMPF’s ongoingSunAWARE For Life school and community programs, which, over the past 16 years, have educated more than 1 million children and the people who care for them.

Rep. Kate Hogan is in her sixth term as State Representative for the Third Middlesex District. Among her many accomplishments, she has served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health.  She was recognized by CMPF for her dedication to securing state legislation preventing anyone under the age of 18 from using or operating an indoor tanning facility. Rep. Kate Hogan is a member of CMPF’s Advisory Council.

At the ceremonies, Rep. Kate Hogan said, “It is an honor to work in partnership with the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation at the ground floor of this essential work: spreading awareness about the critical importance of skin cancer prevention for kids. In my leadership of the Committee on Public Health, I worked to shape and advance legislation preventing minors from using tanning beds, shown to increase the rate of melanoma among young people. I will continue in my work as a lawmaker to amplify the Foundation’s life-saving message of sun safety. This award marks the importance of our shared commitment to reducing incidences of skin cancer in our state.”

In presenting the award to Rep. Hogan, CMPF’s Maura Flynn (RN, SunAWARE Educator & Advocacy Coordinator) said, “For nearly ten years, a bill to ban indoor tanning use by minors failed repeatedly. It was during Kate’s tenure as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health that we were successful. After a timely hearing, the bill was reported favorably out of committee and within days made it to the floors of the House and Senate where it passed nearly unanimously and subsequently was signed into law by Governor Baker. I know this would not have been possible without Kate’s leadership.”

CMPF Executive Director and Founder Maryellen Maguire-Eisen, a Hingham resident, added, “Rep. Kate Hogan took up our mission to protect children from the hazards of indoor tanning. She has always worked tirelessly as a State Representative to ensure the very best for her constituents and their communities. She truly made a difference in terms of children being at risk for this disease and in the process has saved lives.”

 About Rep. Kate Hogan

• Rep. Kate Hogan is in her sixth term as a State Representative for the Third Middlesex District. During her past two terms, Representative Hogan has served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health and Co-Chair of the Elder Caucus, where she was instrumental in shepherding landmark public health legislation into law.

• Prior to her first election in 2008 she spent over 25 years working in the publishing and print industry.  A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she is actively involved in her alma mater’s Women Into Leadership Program, proudly instituting opportunities for young women to grow as public leaders.

• As a legislator, Rep. Kate Hogan has been a tireless advocate for building our local community, a steward of our public libraries, and a voice for our elders and most vulnerable.   She believes her job is to create consensus, build alliances, and improve the quality of life for all citizens in this great Commonwealth.

About The Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation

• Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Norwell, MA, the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness about sun protection and skin cancer prevention, focusing on melanoma prevention through free educational programming. Each year, the Foundation provides its signature SunAWARE For Life Program to more than 100,000 children and the adults who care for them. Trained Foundation staff members provide the program at local schools, sailing clubs, recreation centers, day care centers and nationally at conventions and symposia. The organization’s motto is “preventing skin cancer, one child at a time through education and advocacy.”

• Executive Director Maryellen Maguire-Eisen is an oncology and dermatology nurse with more than 35 years of experience.  She's also an Adjunct Clinical Instructor at Boston University and an American Cancer Society Scholar.

Skin Cancer Facts

• Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US and one American dies from it every 45 minutes. (ACS, 2019)

• Skin cancer is most commonly caused by overexposure to UV rays, either from the sun or indoor tanning devices. (CDC, 2018)

• Sunburns in childhood are associated with melanoma in adulthood. (Tsao, 2007)

• 50% of children sunburn annually. (CDC, 2018)

• 72% of melanomas in children are found in girls between the ages of 15 to 19. (Maguire-Eisen, 2016)

• Deaths from melanoma continue to rise despite new therapies. (ACS, 2019)

• Skin cancer is largely preventable and treatable when caught early, but deadly if diagnosed in its later stages. (ACS, 2018)

For more information, visit www.melanomaprevention.org.