Mom Whose Daughter Died of Melanoma Teaches Kids Sun Safety

Caption: 1) Abby Kovac dots her nose with sunscreen at the Johnson Center’s demonstration on sun safety conducted by Nancy Donovan. 2) Samuel Morales Aguilera, 11, and Donnie Maya, 8, of Oak Lawn, with Nancy Donovan of March4Meg quiz.

Monday during the presentation at the Johnson Center in the Oak Lawn Park District.

Nancy Donovan is embarking on her annual tour of local summer day camp programs to educate children about safe sun practices.

Donovan’s daughter, Meg Moonan, who died of melanoma complications, never tires of delivering the message to youngsters on the importance of developing safe sun practices.

For the past three years family, friends, neighbors and others touched by melanoma have gathered to remember the vivacious Evergreen Park mom at the annual March4Meg 5K Run/Walk.

Since the event’s founding, over $90,000 has been raised for the Meg Moonan Endowment Center at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The money raised goes toward melanoma research.

Never one to mince words, Donovan explains to children how her own daughter died due to complications from melanoma.

“Melanoma is a monster,” Donovan says.

Donovan invests her summer mornings to reach those who were once like her own kids, carefree and unafraid of the sun’s deadly rays.

Her mission is three fold: raise money for research, reach more children with her sun wise programs and get families to embrace check ups and safe sun practices.

Donovan’s “Sun Wise” program is filled with relay running games in which children choose practical clothing, answer pop quiz questions to compete for tee shirts and they are part of demonstrations on how to apply sunscreen lotion.

“I love being here to provide this messaging and each year more parks sign up ,” said Donovan, a co-founder of March4Meg along with Meredith McGuffage.

Donovan also tells the children how her good friend, Dr. Adam Riker, an oncological surgeon at Christ Medical Center, and his team of dermatologists will check their parents and them for free. While it’s good to get check ups for any “strange little discolorations on their skin,” Donovan tells the children, no one should turn down a chance to get a free check up.

“I love being here to provide this messaging and each year more parks sign up ,” said Donovan, a co-founder of March4Meg along with Meredith McGuffage.

The Meg Moonan Endowment Center will host a free skin cancer screening in Klein Park, 97th Street and Homan Avenue, Evergreen Park, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 1. For more information or to register, call 800/323-8622 the Event code is 1C10. Walk-ins are welcome; More information is at www.March4Meg.com.

Donovan will be visiting the following parks over the next two weeks:

Thursday, June 25 in Evergreen Park

• Southwest School Day Camp, 9900 South Central Park 10 a.m
• Northwest School Day Camp, 93rd and Millard from 11:00 a.m.

Monday, June 29 in Chicago

• Mount Greenwood Park, 3711 West 111th Street, 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 30 in Chicago

• Kennedy Park, 2400 West 114th Street (114th and Western), 10:15 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Parents are welcome to attend the sessions.

For more information about the Sun Wise and the Meg Moonan Endowment, visit March4Meg.