Miami Dolphins Kick Off Second Year of Campaign to Tackle Melanoma

MIAMI, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Miami Dolphins are proud to announce the continuation of the team's partnership with the Melanoma Exposed™ Screen. Protect. Know. Tell. campaign, which includes offering free skin cancer screenings at Sun Life Stadium on Thursday, April 25, 2013 during the Dolphins Draft Night Event, and Saturday, April 27 during Fin Fest. Attendees may be eligible for free tickets to a regular season Dolphins game and other autographed prizes.

Melanoma Exposed is an educational campaign – led by melanoma advocacy groups, former pro football Coach Bill Cowher and Bristol-Myers Squibb – to raise awareness of melanoma and its risk factors and to encourage people to get screened. As part of the campaign last year, nearly 400 fans were screened for skin cancer during events hosted by the Dolphins. This year, the team hopes to screen even more people.

"The Miami Dolphins are proud to be part of a program that educates our fans about melanoma risk factors and how to protect themselves," said Miami Dolphins Head Coach Joe Philbin. "As a football coach, I've spent the majority of my days outside in the sun. I've learned throughout the years how important it is to get screened for skin cancer regularly. We are excited to see how many fans we can screen at our events this year and also teach them about risk factors to be aware of."

During the span of a single football game, three Americans will die from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Floridians need to be especially vigilant, as UV rays – like those from the sun – are a risk factor for melanoma. The state has the greatest amount of annual UV ray exposure in the U.S., and is ranked #2 in the U.S. for new melanoma skin cancers.

Miami Dolphins CFO Mark Brockelman has a personal connection with melanoma as his wife, Jan, passed away from the disease in 2010. Brockelman and his two daughters attended the Melanoma Exposed screening events last year and plan to be a part of the initiative this year as well. "This campaign is very meaningful to me and my family. It is important to us to spread the word that regular skin cancer screenings may help identify melanoma in its early stages, when it is almost always curable if treated properly."

A team of healthcare professionals, including licensed dermatologists, will be conducting free skin cancer screenings during the April 25 and 27 events. The two events will accommodate approximately 600 free skin cancer screenings over the course of two days.

WHAT:    Miami Dolphins and Melanoma Exposed Skin Cancer Screening Events

WHEN:    Draft Night Event - Thursday, April 25, 2013, 7:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Fin Fest - Saturday, April 27, 2013, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

WHERE:  Sun Life Stadium, Gate C Club Level (347 Don Shula Drive, Miami Gardens, FL 33056)

For more information about Melanoma Exposed, and to learn more about melanoma risk factors, visit www.MelanomaExposed.com. Visitors can share what they have learned with family and friends by using the interactive tools on the website, and test their melanoma knowledge (and football skills) by playing Goalpost Avenue, an online educational game coached by Coach Cowher, also available as a free app for tablets.

About the Melanoma Exposed Campaign
Melanoma Exposed is a public awareness campaign designed to educate Americans about melanoma and its risk factors and encourage them to take a more active role in their skin health, which may include receiving routine skin cancer screenings by a dermatologist and performing regular skin self-exams. The Melanoma Exposed campaign is a partnership with the Melanoma International Foundation, Melanoma Research Alliance, Melanoma Research Foundation, and The Skin Cancer Foundation, and is sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb. For more information about the campaign, visit www.MelanomaExposed.com.

About the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins, owned by Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Stephen M. Ross, currently play in the AFC East of the National Football League. The organization has played in five Super Bowls, winning championships in 1972 (VII) and 1973 (VIII). The franchise also has won five conference championships and 13 division championships and is the oldest continuous major-league professional sports franchise in the state of Florida. For more information, visit the organization's website at dolphins.com.

SOURCE Miami Dolphins

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