Local Mary Kay consultants are banning together to send our troops sunscreen during their tours of duty.
By Michael Menendez
Although many may not think about it, an afterthought in our everyday lives, we are being protected. It’s a strange thought, isn’t it? To know that there’s always someone fighting, serving us for no other reason than the fact that we are Americans. Members of our nations armed services sacrifice much to maintain freedom.
They do so much for us and ask nothing in return, but that doesn’t mean nothing can be. This year, Mayra Etayo is heading a project to give back. The project, or “a movement” as she refers to it, is called Project Sunscreen. What this offers is a chance for the people fighting for us to receive simple necessities, such as UV protection.
Etayo, a first generation American whose family is from Cuba, has a special place for people in the military and more broadly people who protect freedom.
The whole movement started because soldiers like receiving care packages, but not all of them receive them. This year, Etayo wanted to give sunscreen. A year round project, anyone can participate in any way they want. Etayo and her team of seven other consultants are working for a goal of sending sunscreen to about 800 soldiers. Every $25 donation sends two products (a UV lip product and sunscreen) to two soldiers. With a personal goal of $1000, Etayo and her team have already sent $250 worth of product, Etayo came upon this yearly project while researching about becoming a Mary Kay Consultant.
During her research, she found a training video about Project Sunscreen. By the end of the video, she was in tears. “When I was working, people would send shipments, but with very few luxuries. Mary Kay was consistently there.”
She knew she would be a Mary Kay consultant even before she returned to the United States. For the month of June, she decided to focus on Project Sunscreen in June, as well as every year after.
To get the information out, a Facebook event was made, which gathered over 1000 followers in only hours. The reason this was made an event instead of a group was because it is more effective to click on an invitation rather than just join a group. Initially running from June 1st to June 30th, people are still trying to gather donations, extending the movement to (for now) until July 5th.
Sending both to Afghanistan and Iraq, the goal is to help those most in need. Another project, called Courage is Beautiful, actually accepts requests from the soldiers for specifics about what they want sent (books, feminine products, etc.).
“This is a simple way to say thank you to soldiers because of how much they sacrifice to protect us,” says Etayo. If you want to help the cause, please click here.
Michael Menendez is a student at the University of Central Florida, where he majors in journalism.
