In Memory of Darren Lee Farwell (1969-2001)

To understand the foundation of UV Skinz, you must understand the legacy from which UV Skinz was born. You must understand Darren’s story. Darren Lee Farwell was always up for an outdoor adventure. An avid surfer and snowboarder, Darren couldn’t begin to count the number of serious sunburns he had suffered as a kid. He was not aware that just one severe sunburn during a child’s first fifteen years could double the chance of developing skin cancer as an adult. Darren was young and full of life and never thought about skin cancer or how deadly it could be. The reality of skin cancer touched Darren in 1996 when he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Darren stayed positive and lively for his three young boys, Ethan, Seth and Caleb and never gave up hope during his long five-year battle with the disease. On September 14th 2001, at the far-too-young age of 32, Darren succumbed to skin cancer. The legacy that Darren wanted to leave was to encourage people to “stay healthy” and to “take responsibility of their bodies.” Darren's wife, Rhonda Sparks, would travel to Hawaii and bring home surf rashguards as sun protection for her sons. Friends would ask where they could get more and Rhonda found that the shirts were very difficult to find. When she could find shirts, either the styles were undesirable and/or the sizes were very limited. Recognizing the consumer demand married with the passion to protect children from the damaging effects of the sun, Rhonda jumped into two years of research and development. In the Spring of 2005, UV Skinz was born. Skin cancer is 95% preventable if caught early! Protecting your skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%. Darren wants his children and ALL children to be safe from the dangers of the sun. But we must take action toward eradicating this disease. Educate yourself! Enjoy all that life has to offer under the sun but BE SUN SAFE!