Sunscreen stations at Essex splash pads thanks to family of skin cancer victim

We're getting one hot, sunny day after another this summer and that'smade splash pads an appealing destination for families. But busy parents sometimes forget to pack sunscreen.

If they're in Essex, there's a fall-back now, and it comes courtesy of a family that knows all too well the dangers of the sun.

Cathy and Dan Hedges' daughter, Kari, died of skin cancer in 2014, so the family is providing the sunscreen at all three of the town's splash padsas a way to honour her.

"We found out that sun exposure does it's biggest harm in the early years of childhood ... so this just seemed to be a good idea to put these out there," said Dan, who also worked for the Town of Essex.

"It's just like a soap dispenser that you'd have in any public washroom."

The family hopes this will help families who have forgotten to bring the lotion with them, and to remind people how important it is to protect yourself and children especially from the sun.

"Kari was veryenergeticand lively and a good athlete and a good student and she was very driven tosucceedin life which she did," said Cathy. "Unfortunatelymelanoma cut her life too short."

Hear more from the Hedges on CBC's Windsor Morning:

Cathy said a mole that Karihad "forever" had turned, and doctors preformedsurgeryto remove it. However, four years later it came back and the cancer moved through her body. That type of cancer can be caused by the sun, although in Kari's case it could have also been a gene, Cathy said.

"I think she would have been super happy," said Kari's sister Beth.

"She was very, very, very good with putting sunscreen on and covering up. She was very fairso she was aware of the sun and all the bad things that can come from it."

Beth said after her sister's first diagnosis, she was sure to spread the word to make sure others covered up as well.

"I hope we can prevent it,"said Beth. "Sunscreen can definitely prevent this from happening to other families."