Piedmont Park Conservancy and Northside Hospital Team Up to Install Sunscreen Dispensers in Beloved Atlanta Park
The Piedmont Park Conservancy – established in 1989 – is a member and donor-funded nonprofit organization working in partnership with the city of Atlanta to ensure Piedmont Park is an iconic park for all neighborhoods of metro Atlanta. The Conservancy contributes to the Park’s beautification through detail-focused landscaping, volunteer projects and capital improvements. Major concentration areas include the Active Oval, dog parks, pool, EnviroVentures Camp, tours, facility rentals, Green Market and field trips. The Conservancy makes Piedmont Park so much more than a greenspace; they’re providing an experience.
This year, thanks in part to the City of Atlanta Office of Park Design, the Conservancy, and the financial generosity of Northside Hospital and their mission to forge strong community wellness bonds, the Piedmont Park experience includes the addition of five IMPACT Melanoma procured automatic sunscreen dispensers which have been installed in target areas around the Park’s geographic footprint.
IMPACT caught up with Piedmont Park Conservatory President and CEO, Mark Banta to discuss the initiative, why it’s important, and what he hopes visitors gain from their place in Atlanta, and beyond.
IMPACT Melanoma: What made Piedmont Park start looking into automatic sunscreen dispensers for the facility? How’d you learn about them? How’d you initially become engaged with IMPACT Melanoma in an attempt bring them to your community? How’d you find IMPACT?
Mark Banta: In March of 2019, Northside Hospital introduced the Piedmont Park Conservancy to Impact Melanoma. The Conservancy was already interested in the concept of sunscreen in the park, but was unsure how to move forward. The partnership between Impact Melanoma, Northside Hospital and the Piedmont Park Conservancy was the perfect mix to help bring this important resource to our park visitors.
IM: You have dispensers in 5 spots throughout the park. Tell us about where they are exactly and who they’re serving. How and why were these specific locations chosen?
MB: The Conservancy chose five key spots in Piedmont Park that attracted both people and activities that have the most need for sunscreen protection. We chose:
- Legacy Fountain.
- Noguchi Playscape and…
- Mayor’s Grove Playground because they are the most popular attractions for endless fun with our young visitors.
- The Active Oval has a dispenser to help protect the sport leagues and athletes that rely on our beautiful park for recreation.
- We also chose the Dog Parks because of their high-volume of visitors.
IM: What, in your estimation is the importance of having these dispensers in place? Feel free to share any personal experiences with combating the suns UV rays, etc.
MB: The sunscreen dispensers are a valuable amenity for Piedmont Park’s visitors, and we are grateful to see this free asset come to the park. More people can enjoy a better experience knowing that sunscreen is available for all.
IM: Was the City of Atlanta positively receptive of this installation out of the gate or did it take some back-and-forth convincing? How did that process of approval look?
MB: The City of Atlanta was welcoming to this installation, especially after seeing the success of the dispenser already installed in Grant Park. Amber with Impact Melanoma was a key partner in getting the appropriate approvals for this new amenity.
IM: How are you hoping people will respond to this kind of resource?
MB: We hope that our park community responds positively to the sunscreen dispensers. We have already received good feedback, and once the world begins to leave their homes and socializing again, we expect for more people to experience the benefits of using sunscreen at Piedmont Park.
IM: What’s your battle cry sound like with regard to getting surrounding communities in your area, and across the globe, to adopt a similar proactive approach to helping combat skin cancer with these dispensing devices?
MB: While people may be aware that sunscreen is important, they don’t always have sunscreen with them. Having these dispensers available for everyone allows people to protect themselves not only when they come to Piedmont Park, but also every couple of hours during their visit.
We encourage other parks to consider having sunscreen dispensers in their parks. The partnership with Impact Melanoma and sponsors like Northside Hospital makes the implementation process feasible for everyone.
Get involved: To bring IMPACT Melanoma’s award winning programs (which include our ever popular sunscreen dispensers) to your state, town, or community, contact IMPACT Melanoma today and let’s discuss how we can help best serve your unique needs.
