Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun are the main cause of skin cancer. UV damage can also cause wrinkles and blotchy skin.

The good news? Skin cancer can be prevented! Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to prevent skin cancer.

Make a difference: Spread the word about strategies for preventing skin cancer and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

We can all use this month to raise awareness about skin cancer and help people take action to prevent it - both at home and in the larger community.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Encourage families to adopt good habits together, like wearing sunscreen and limiting their time in the sun.
• Motivate teachers and administrators to teach kids about the harm of UV rays and why it's important to protect yourself.
• Identify youth leaders in your community who can talk to their peers about taking steps to prevent skin cancer.

On June 27, 43 Explorers from the Bay Area including two members of Sunnyvale Explorer Post 417, graduated from the three week long Santa Clara County Law Enforcement Academy held at Evergreen Community College. Instructors from eleven different agencies taught the 14-20 year old Explorers about law enforcement, moral character and life skills. The Explorers learned discipline, integrity and, most of all, a team concept.      

Congratulations to Sunnyvale Explorers Dakota Manchette (18) and Priscilla Meza (20).  This was Dakota Manchette's third Explorer Academy, and Priscilla's first Academy.  Both will be part of the team going to the Central Valley Explorer Competition July 18-20 in Ripon.

Good luck at the competition!   

More than 700 Special Olympics athletes descended upon the UC Davis Campus to compete in the 2014 Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games. More than 200 volunteer coaches accompanied the athletes  to cheer them on.  After weeks of training and participating at qualifying competitions, the athletes competed in Aquatics, Bocce, Tennis or Track and Field in state-of-the-art collegiate athletic facilities on the UC Davis campus. 

Summer Games is the culminating competition for the spring sports season and is one of the largest Special Olympics sporting competitions in Northern California. The minimum age of the competitors is eight years of age and there is no age limit cap. Athletes have varying ability levels and are placed in divisions to compete against athletes of the approximate same ability level. Over 1,200 volunteers filled a variety of volunteer positions over the course of the weekend.

An important part of Summer Games is the running of the Special Olympics Torch, the "Flame of Hope," prior to the start of the Games.  The Flame of Hope was relayed through Northern California escorted by various law enforcement agency personnel, ending at the UC Davis campus, lighting the caldron during opening ceremonies. Public Safety Officers Todd Fekete represented Sunnyvale escorting the Flame of Hope on the final leg of the run. Officers Brian Gantt, Amy Pistor, Eric Fujii and Lt. Ryan Yin also represented Sunnyvale in the Wall of Honor. 

Sunnyvale Public Safety's support of the Law Enforcement Torch Run continues through summer with two more dinner Tip a Cop events on July 16 at PF Chang's and FireHouse Grill on August 28. For more information about these events, please visit TorchRunEvents.inSunnyvale.com  

Since 2009, Public Safety has had the pleasure to work with the Mountain View Police Department, several committed community members and this year the Sunnyvale Police Activities League to bring the Kick, Lead and Dream Soccer Camp to the kids of Sunnyvale and Mountain View. As many of you know, this is no ordinary summer camp. The camp is designed to bring at-risk youth from the communities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View together for two weeks of soccer. Coached by local high school student volunteers, these elementary and middle school kids are shown positive role models and given the chance to learn soccer skills, leadership skills and the ability to dream BIG!

The camp did not disappoint this year! The nearly 400 kids were treated to great fun, great food and even visits from the San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team. At the conclusion of the camp, the kids received awards from the camp organizers and some positive thoughts from Sunnyvale DPS Chief Frank Grgurina and Captain Doug Moretto.

The kids are already talking about next year...and so are we!

Regardless of their social, economic, academic, social or athletic backgrounds, most young men share the same concerns about becoming a man and being properly prepared for the challenges of the adult world. The Young Men's Ultimate Weekend (YMUW) is a modern, non-religious, rite of passage initiation that allows all young men, ages13 - 20, to acquire the leadership skills necessary for a responsible adulthood.

At the YMUW, the young men are given physical, mental and emotional challenges that allow them to experience adversity without fear of being judged. The mentors guide them to discover the values and healthy behaviors they'll need to adapt and succeed in their personal and community life.

The YMUW is staffed by trained volunteers who oversee the events, including sporting competitions, drum circles, ceremonies, a ropes course, community service, trust falls and open forum discussions regarding issues about sex, drugs, relationships, goal setting and anger management. Over 3500 Bay Area young men have graduated the program, many returning to serve on production with the adult men to learn advanced life and organizational skills.