“Students at Maynard High School in Maynard, Mass. made good on an important promise: no tanning before this year’s prom. Many of the students signed a pledge in February that they would skip the tanning bed and sunbathing before prom this year in an effort to reduce their risk of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Allison Bosse, the high school senior who organized the pledge, said convincing everyone to flaunt their pale skin was no easy task. “Our school is known for a lot of people tanning. Kids start in March because they want to be tan in their dresses for prom,” she said. Bosse said the pressure for students to get a golden glow is so great that freshmen start visiting tanning beds even though they don’t go to the prom. Bosse said she wanted to educate her classmates about the dangers of tanning. She set up tables at lunch and started asking for people to sign the no-tanning pledge. Of the school’s 283 seniors, 209 signed the pledge.” w/ photo + video
