Free Hat Giveaway Downtown to Prevent Against Skin Cancer

Salmagundi, the Jamaica Plain hat shop, will provide free wide-brimmed hats.

wide brimmed hat

wide brimmed hat image via shutterstock

The seventh annual “Hat Day in the Sun,” sponsored by the Headwear Association, will be giving away thousands of free wide-brimmed hats to protect from the summer sun. The public awareness campaign will take place in a number of cities across the nation, including Boston.

The purpose of the free hats giveaway is to educate people that “the right hat can protect against skin cancer, sun damage, and premature aging.”

Jamaica Plain hat shop Salmagundi will host the free hats giveaway in Post Office Square on Thursday, June 19 at 12 p.m.

The best hats for sun protection, according to the Headwear Association, are wide-brimmed with at least a 2 and 1/2-inch brim. Hats with brims larger than 5 inches also offer shoulder and décolletage protection from the sun. Also, hats with curved shapes are best so that the hat can follow the contour of the head and neck. And sorry fellas, a baseball cap is not recommended as it leaves the cheeks, ears, and back of the neck exposed.

Many hats have been tested for sun protection qualities, and include an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) number on the label. The association also recommends hats with opaque materials, because the denser the fabric, the higher the UPF. Choose close-weave fabrics or tightly woven straw.