About / Accomplishments

The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation is a non-profit public charity founded in January, 2004 to foster education, advocacy and research. In just over seven-years, the Foundation has grown dramatically to become an influential voice in the melanoma community and is now established as a national, and international, voice for melanoma prevention, detection, care and cure. Melanoma, the most serious and lethal form of skin cancer, is the only cancer for which incidence and mortality are rising unabated, yet only receives 3% of the funding provided by the National Cancer Institute. During the past ten years, the number of cases of melanoma has increased more rapidly than that of any other cancer and accounts for approx. 75% of all skin cancer deaths. One person dies nearly every hour in the U.S. from melanoma.

The Nicolay Foundation has organized thousands of volunteers to advance a comprehensive strategic platform of goals and initiatives; and, boasts an extremely active volunteer Board of Directors, in addition to valuable Honorary and Advisory Boards that enable the Foundation’s success, expansion, and growing visibility. The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation is proud of numerous achievements to date:

• 2004-2011 Research Scholar Awards – Annual $10,000 doctoral grants expanded 25% in 2010, AND 40% in 2011 to seven NCI-AACI Comprehensive Cancer Ctrs. in melanoma research: Dartmouth Univ. – Norris Cancer Ctr.; Gerstner Sloan-Kettering; U. of Iowa – Holden Compr. Cancer Ctr.; U. of TX - MD Anderson Cancer Ctr.; U. of WA - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Ctr.; Washington Univ. in St. Louis – Siteman Cancer Ctr.; U of VA Cancer Center
• 2009-2011 “Teen Skin Cancer & Melanoma Awareness” High Sch. curriculum – Expanded 200% in & outside MD
• 2008-2011 Health Agency Outreach – 30,000+ sunscreen/educational materials to hospitals & health agencies
• 2010-2011 Team “WIN-THE-FIGHT” – growth of organized training/fundraising teams at “sold-out” sporting events
• 2010-2011 “Park Quest” – sponsor for 1000 MD families “fun” outdoors initiative & “UVR-safety”; 24 state parks
• 2010 FDA Medical Devices Advisory Committee– Vital Fdn. testimony to reclassify tanning beds & ban minors’ use
• 2010 Legislative Victory – key testimony for Baltimore Co. statutes requiring indoor tanning businesses to post “skin cancer” warnings on signs and in parental/guardian consent documents; Annual state & federal testimony
• 2009 Legislative Victory – key testimony for 1st in nation total ban on tanning bed use by minors – Howard Co., MD
• May Melanoma Awareness Month – annual national outreach, public awareness and fundraising campaigns
• “Melanoma Monday” annual media event, organizational alliance outreach, student poster awards
• “Survivor Day” annual co-supporting organization with LifeBridge Health and Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute
• 2008-2011 Frederick Kids “TRI-TO-WIN” Triathlon; youth sun-safe practices awareness; 2011 record fundraising
• 2007-2011 ‘TRI-TO-WIN” Events – Launch of SavageMan Triathlon Festival in ’07; Expansion thru ‘11 – “Savage Races to Fight a Savage Cancer” – 2,500+ triathletes; 30+states & 6 countries. Int’l. acclaim & fundraising success
• Columbia Triathlon 2008-2010 – sun-safe awareness exhibit, educational literature and sunscreen distribution
• 2007-2009 Maryland Seafood Festival – Distributed 30,000+ sunscreen bottles, literature & one-on-one education
• 2006-2011 “TRI-TO-WIN” Sprint Triathlon fundraiser in Carroll County, MD attracted racers from eight states, 15 counties, and D.C.; 2007 – 2011 event “sell-out/closed” months in advance
• Public Service Announcements released – melanoma survivor Miss Maryland 2006 promoting “UV-safe” practices
• 2006 Winner of Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for initiatives and volunteerism on behalf of MD citizens
• Official United Way designated charity: 2005-2011 for all federal, state and Baltimore employees
• Bay Bridge Walk 2006–Distributed 8,000+ sunscreen bottles;10,000 ready in ’07 - event cancelled due to weather
• “Got Skin? Get Checked!” billboard & poster public awareness advertising campaigns: 2005-2008
• Funded $25,000 of $50,000 matching grant for melanoma research at Rutgers University
• Co-sponsored symposiums with Melanoma Research Foundation, Johns Hopkins & regional medical orgs.
• Speaker at Maryland & Virginia Sun Safety Alliance launch of “Mothers and Others Against Skin Cancer”
• Distribute quarterly Foundation newsletter on advocacy, alliances, activities & achievements
• Coordinate educational material outreach to all Maryland hospitals & health departments; and multi-state initiative
• Provide one-on-one interaction and advocacy support to melanoma patients, families and entire community
• Ongoing media campaigns through numerous articles and press releases in national, regional and local media
• Comprehensive website as “voice for melanoma prevention, detection, care & cure!”- www.melanomaresource.org
• Member of the National Council for Skin Cancer Prevention

The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation is proud of numerous achievements to date, and
specifically:

• Underwriting melanoma research at numerous prestigious cancer centers across the U.S., through the Foundation’s Research Scholarship Awards (RSA) earned by the best and brightest young graduate student scientists, to advance discovery of effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for melanoma;


• Successfully launching and expanding a comprehensive High School health curriculum, “Teen Skin Cancer & Melanoma Awareness,” for the key demographic of students (and their families), to learn the deadly risks of melanoma skin cancer and “UV-safe” preventative and detection practices;


• Ongoing targeted initiatives, and multi-channel outreach, to ensure broader national awareness of melanoma prevention and detection by the general public;


• Providing a broad spectrum of essential advocacy and care resources for patients and the entire melanoma community.