ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (July 15, 2005) - As part of continuing efforts to demonstrate the power of everyday good deeds, Mission Hospital's Spirit of Giving (www.spiritofgiving.org) will be out in force this weekend along Orange County shorelines to provide tens of thousands of beachgoers with a free gift of sun protection. Pro-Am surfer Bethany Hamilton and Olympic gold medallist swimmer Amanda Beard will join the effort today by sharing tips on surfing, swimming, and water and beach safety.

Throughout today, Saturday and Sunday, scores of Mission Hospital Spirit of Giving team members (www.spiritofgiving.org/spirit.php/team) and volunteers will be roaming county beaches and piers to help ensure county beachgoers have access to maximum sun protection. Last year alone, nearly 2,000 people were diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in Orange and Los Angeles counties, according to the American Cancer Society.

The roving teams will be equipped with special backpack sprayers that provide head-to-toe, quick-drying sunscreen application in seconds. In addition, more than 50,000 sunscreen packets will be handed out along the shores from Huntington Beach to San Clemente.

“Mission Hospital's Spirit of Giving is about serving each other through a kind gesture, and what better way to do that at the beach than by providing someone with sun protection and water safety tips,” says Dr. Robert Winokur, Medical Director of Mission Hospital Emergency Services. “During the summer, we see an influx of preventable injuries and accidents from beach activities. We want people to enjoy the waves and sun safely while at the same time encouraging the idea of giving to others.”