Stirred by the loss of a childhood friend due to Melanoma, Andrea Pedregon, Pedregon Racing Team Manager and wife of two time NHRA Funny Car Champion Tony Pedregon pledged to make a difference by announcing a Melanoma Fundraiser Project on September 23rd.

Pedregon will be creating a calendar called “The NHRA Real Housewives of Drag Racing” for 2011 featuring wives of the NHRA Pro Categories, along with photos of their driver husbands. All proceeds from the calendar sales and donations will go to Melanoma research efforts.

Donations can also be made payable to the Andrea Pedregon Charity Foundation, Inc., a 501 3C organization and contributors will receive receipts for their funds. Calendar pre-orders will be available soon.

Andrea Pedregon noted “Racers and Race Fans need to be aware of the dangers of skin cancer, especially because we are all out in the sun a lot enjoying our sport. Use of high SPF sun screen and making use of shade when available drastically reduce the chances of developing Melanomas, or other dangerous skin cancers.”

Melanoma is highly curable in it’s early stages, so checking your skin regularly may save your life. Before Melanoma spreads, the five year survival rate is 99%; once it travels past its original location in the body, that percentage can plummet as low as 16%. Most Melanomas show up on sun exposed areas, but they can also occur on places that rarely or never see the sun. A cancerous growth might be new, or might develop in a mole you’ve had for years. The next time you notice an unusual spot, follow the Academy of Dermatology’s ABCDE’s of melanoma.

See your doctor if you answer to one or more of the following:

• A = Asymmetry: If you drew a line down the middle of the mole, would one half look different from the other? Cancerous cells don’t grow evenly.
• B = Border: Is the perimeter of the mole jagged or blurred, rather than round or oval? You should be able to tell where the mole stops & skin begins.
• C = Color: Do you see a variety of shades, such as tan, brown & black, within the mole? Benign moles are all one color.
• D = Diameter: is the lesion bigger than the size of a pencil eraser? Most melanomas are this size or larger.
• E = Evolving: Has this spot changed in size, shape or color since you last checked? Itchiness can also signal a problem.

[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]

Press Contact
Andrea Pedregon
Pedregon Racing
317-858-9300
andrea@pedregonracing.com