The Vision Council Foundation, AccuWeather®, and The Skin Cancer Foundation Unite for National Sunglasses Day 2026
3 Leading Organizations Join Forces to Deliver a Complete UV Protection Message – Eyes, Skin, and Sky
Alexandria, Virginia, May 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Vision Council Foundation, AccuWeather®, and The Skin Cancer Foundation are proud to announce a collaboration in advance of National Sunglasses Day, celebrated each year on June 27. For the first time, these three trusted authorities in eye health, weather forecasting and warnings, and skin health are joining forces to deliver a unified, comprehensive UV protection message:
Safeguarding yourself from the sun requires protecting your eyes with UV-blocking sunglasses, protecting your skin with clothing, hats and broad-spectrum sunscreen, and staying informed with AccuWeather's exclusive hour-by-hour UV Index — every single day.
Despite widespread awareness of sun safety, dangerous gaps in protection persist. According to The Vision Council's 2025 Market inSights with 2026 Forecast report, more than 37% of American adults do not regularly wear sunglasses, leaving their eyes vulnerable to UV-related conditions including cataracts, macular degeneration, photokeratitis, and cancers of the eye and eyelid. At the same time, The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with UV radiation as its leading cause, and studies show that many Americans still do not apply sunscreen as part of their daily routine. UV damage to both the eyes and skin is cumulative and irreversible, making consistent, informed protection essential regardless of season, geography, or cloud cover.
This partnership brings together each organization's unique expertise and trusted audience reach to close those gaps and empower the public with actionable, easy-to-follow guidance:
- The Vision Council Foundation champions UV-protective eyewear as a daily wellness essential, providing public education resources and support across the optical industry through the National Sunglasses Day campaign.
- The Skin Cancer Foundation provides the public with evidence-based guidance on sun protection — including daily sunscreen use, sun-protective clothing and accessories — and early skin cancer detection.
- AccuWeather is the most trusted source of weather forecasts and warnings with proven Superior Accuracy™ delivering hour-by-hour UV forecasts and brightness information through its freely available UV Index and first-of-its-kind AccuLumen Brightness Index™, helping them make the best weather impacted decisions for their health, safety and comfort.
“Protecting yourself from the sun isn't a single habit, but a complete routine” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council and The Vision Council Foundation. “When you walk out the door, you should be reaching for your sunglasses and your sunscreen, and you should know what the UV Index looks like that day. By bringing together three organizations that each own a critical piece of that message, we can finally give the public the full picture.”
“AccuWeather is committed to helping people make the best weather-impacted decisions to protect their health and well-being every hour of every day,” said Jonathan Porter, Senior Vice President, Weather Content and Forecast Operations and Chief Meteorologist at AccuWeather. “AccuWeather’s freely available UV Index provides UV forecasts with the greatest accuracy and more detail available from any source. This highly localized index provides enhanced protection from excessive UV exposure by allowing users to track their UV exposure hour-by-hour, down to the tenths of a unit and is already reaching millions of people worldwide. Our collaboration with The Vision Council Foundation and The Skin Cancer Foundation enables us to turn critical data into meaningful action.”
“In nearly 90% of cases, skin cancer is preventable with a complete sun protection strategy, which includes UV protective sunglasses,” said Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “We so appreciate this opportunity to work with our partners at AccuWeather and The Vision Council Foundation to help the public understand that the sun does not discriminate. UV radiation from the sun causes photodamage to your skin, including the delicate skin around your eyes, every day. We proudly stand alongside these organizations to drive this message home on National Sunglasses Day and every day.”
AccuWeather's UV Index is a trusted resource for both The Vision Council Foundation and The Skin Cancer Foundation, each of which features the UV index from AccuWeather on their respective websites to help visitors make informed, hour-by-hour sun protection decisions.
Together, the three organizations will coordinate across digital and social platforms leading up to and on June 27, sharing UV safety education, protective tips, and campaign content encouraging the public to celebrate #NationalSunglassesDay. The Vision Council Foundation's free 2026 National Sunglasses Day toolkits, available now at thevisioncouncilfoundation.org/national-sunglasses-day, include social graphics, fact sheets, and customizable materials for eyecare providers, optical industry members, and consumers.
Be Part of the Vision
The Vision Council Foundation invites individuals and organizations to help bring more initiatives like this to life. Donations directly fund educational programs, scholarships, and outreach that make a lasting difference in communities across the country. Learn more and contribute at thevisioncouncilfoundation.org.
To learn more about campaign and event sponsorship opportunities, contact Abigail Crosby, Partnerships and Business Development Manager, at acrosby@thevisioncouncil.org.
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About The Vision Council Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of The Vision Council, The Vision Council Foundation empowers people everywhere to see and look their best through public eye health education and optical industry career training support. A 501c3 charitable nonprofit organization, the Foundation is dedicated to ensuring better vision for better lives.
About AccuWeather, Inc. and AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate and most used source of weather forecasting and warnings in the world, has saved over 12,000 lives, prevented injury to over 100,000 people, minimized reputational harm, and saved companies tens of billions of dollars.
A billion people around the world rely on AccuWeather’s proven Superior Accuracy™ across our consumer digital platforms. AccuWeather.com is the #1 weather destination and one of the top 100 most-visited websites in the world, and our award-winning AccuWeather app delivers detailed real-time forecasts to millions of smartphones.
AccuWeather forecasts also appear on digital signage, in 700 newspapers, are heard on over 400 radio stations, and viewed on 100 television stations. The AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather NOW® reach an audience of over 125 million on cable and streaming platforms.
AccuWeather For Business serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses and government agencies globally who pay to subscribe to the best and most accurate weather forecasting service.
Visit AccuWeather.com for the most accurate hyperlocal forecasts, weather news, and information, and download the free AccuWeather app for Android or iOS.
About The Skin Cancer Foundation
The Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, saves and improves lives by empowering people to take a proactive approach to daily sun protection and the early detection and treatment of skin cancer. The Foundation delivers public education programs, provides patients with guidance and reassurance, engages medical professionals, awards research grants and leads advocacy campaigns that call for policy changes. As a service to consumers, SCF grants its industry-recognized Seal of Recommendation to products that meet its criteria for safe and effective sun protection. SCF also operates Destination Healthy Skin, a program that works with local dermatologists in communities around the U.S. to provide free skin cancer screenings to those in need. Since its inception in 1979, the Foundation has recommended regular skin exams and following a complete sun protection strategy that includes seeking shade, using sunscreen daily and covering up with clothing, hats and sunglasses. SkinCancer.org.
Attachments
Chelsea Pillsbury The Vision Council media@thevisioncouncil.org Abby Ludowise The Skin Cancer Foundation aludowise@skincancer.org Tyler Knowlton AccuWeather PR@AccuWeather.com
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