In the lead-up to Summer, charity Skin Check Champions is on a mission to encourage all Aussies to ‘strip off for skin cancer’ (safely and legally of course), raising vital funds and awareness for a national skin check program, tailored for high-risk communities.
The campaign builds towards National Skin Cancer Action Week (Nov 21 – 27) when the charity aims to flood social media with skin, starting a much-needed national conversation about the importance of getting checked and the need for a national skin check program, making skin cancer history.
“The idea is to show some skin to save some skin,” says the charity’s Founder and CEO Scott Maggs, (formerly known as Jimmy Niggles Esq.) “turning something you do when you normally get a skin check, into something that can help other Aussies get checked too.”
Some brave ambassadors took to social media yesterday to debut the campaign, such as presenter Danny Clayton, actress Suzan Mutesi and musician Casey Burgess who have already created nation-wide ‘skinspiration’, to help elevate the issue of skin cancer and inspiring people to ‘get a skin check’.
Everyone is encouraged to take part because this cancer does not discriminate. “The more people who sign up the more lives we’ll save,” says Courtney Mangan, a stage four melanoma survivor who finishes the ad by saying “I’m stripping off for a skin check, because it saved my life”.
Faces of the campaign include: Actress Suzan Mutesi, Aussie surfer Beau Walker, dancer Mel Ree, NRL player Jackson Garlick, presenter Danny Clayton, stylist Jeff Lack, olympic athlete Elana Withnall, musicians Casey Burgess, Art vs Science’s Jim Finn, Byron Baes’ Saskia Wotton and Dave Frim and skin cancer survivors Hayley Bourke, Anne Gately and Courtney Mangan who can all be seen shedding their clothes for various activities to help raise funds and awareness and help other Aussies do the same.
To take part, simply sign up at sofsc.com.au, book a skin check via the clinic finder, and then post photos or videos showing a little skin, encouraging everyone who sees them to donate. “You don’t have to be completely starkers,” said Jimmy, “Just enough to stop people scrolling, grab their attention and inspire them to get checked and join the cause.”
Not only will participants make their birthday suits make a difference, but there are also some great prizes up for grabs for those who raise significant funds, including a deluxe $5,000 trip to Hamilton Island, a limited-edition pair of skin toned, pixelated Budgy Smugglers or Smugglettes and a summer-ready skin care pack from iconic skin care brand La Roche-Posay.