MONTGOMERY April 24, 2013 -- NAMI Alabama has been selected for the 2013 Best of Montgomery Award in the Doctors & Clinics category by the Montgomery Award Program.

Each year, the Montgomery Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Montgomery area a great place to live, work and play.

More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. The most serious type of skin cancer - melanoma - will kill nearly 8,650 people this year. That means one American dies from melanoma almost every hour.

Fortunately, most skin cancers, including melanoma, can be cured if detected early. But according to a recent survey by the American Academy of Dermatology, most Americans don’t know the warning signs of melanoma and only about a third even know what melanoma is. The survey also found that fewer than one-third examine their skin for signs of skin cancer.

That’s why the American Academy of Dermatology designated the first Monday in May, May 6, is Melanoma Monday, to raise awareness of melanoma and urge Americans to regularly examine their skin for signs of this serious form of skin cancer. Melanoma Monday will launch the 29th annual Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in May sponsored by the Academy.

Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey will launch the “Ending Child Hunger in Alabama” campaign at Wares Ferry Road Elementary School in Montgomery, Monday, April 29, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.. “Ending Child Hunger in Alabama” is the first initiative of the newly established Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University. Lieutenant Governor Ivey serves as the campaign spokesperson.

With nearly one-third of Alabama’s children living in families that experience food hardships, the goal of the campaign is to move Alabama into the top 25% of states with the highest degree of child food security by 2020.