Charlotte, NC (May 1, 2024) – Erik Jones and the Erik Jones Foundation (EJF) will kick off Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness Month this weekend at Kansas Speedway and continue to educate fans throughout the month of May, concluding the month-long campaign at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Established in 2021, the Erik Jones Foundation has three main pillars, one of which is early cancer detection and care. Jones has a personal connection to Melanoma after losing his father to the disease in June 2016. He made Melanoma a specific focus and developed a relationship with the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) after learning about the organization and its emphasis on prevention, awareness, diagnosis, and treatment. More recently, EJF has added additional partnerships to expand its programming to engage with individuals and directly encourage early detection and care.
This weekend at Kansas Speedway, the Erik Jones Foundation will be onsite with partners The Sun Bus, AdventHealth and Castle Bioscience to provide race fans with free skin cancer checks, educational materials and sunscreen samples. The Sun Bus will be open in the Kansas Speedway Fan Zone both Saturday and Sunday. Fans can sign up online for the free skin screenings or stop by The Sun Bus to sign up and meet with physicians and clinicians to learn about melanoma.
“I’m really proud of the work that we have been able to do with our foundation over the last few years in skin cancer,” said Jones. “We started as simply providing materials and sunscreen to fans at the racetrack, and through the relationships with our partners like MRF, The Sun Bus and AdventHealth, we are now able to take it a step further and provide skin checks at the track and help fans who may not have gone to have a check up on their own.”
Following the Kansas Speedway weekend, the Erik Jones Foundation will continue to educate fans about the importance of skin checks and early detection throughout the month of May through social media posts. The Foundation will conclude the month at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where EJF is partnering with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB sponsor Dollar Tree and Family Dollar and its supplier Edgewell Personal Care to hand out sunscreen samples and sun safety materials to fans enjoying the Memorial Day race weekend.
“Our melanoma efforts are significant to us. First, because they honor Erik’s late father, but maybe more importantly, because we know they are working,” said Brent Nickola, Erik Jones Foundation’s Executive Director. “Last November, we conducted nearly 250 cancer screenings at Phoenix Raceway and identified dozens of cases of suspected skin cancer. In the month that followed the event, we received messages from fans who were grateful because we helped find their cancer before it was too late. I am confident we are saving lives with this program.”
To sign up for a skin check at Kansas Speedway, visit https://bit.ly/Kansasskincheck.
Please visit the Melanoma Research Foundation and The Sun Bus to learn more about melanoma detection and care.
About the Erik Jones Foundation:
Established in 2021 by Byron, Michigan native and NASCAR driver, Erik Jones, the Erik Jones Foundation has three main pillars: igniting children’s passion for reading, encouraging early cancer detection and care, and promoting animal welfare. The three areas of focus all have a special meaning to Jones and have each played a role in his life.
For more on the Erik Jones Foundation, please visit www.erikjonesfoundation.org.
