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There’s a big football game being played on Sunday, and there will be a championship feeling in the air. Whether your favorite team is playing, or you have no rooting interest at all, the best way to celebrate the day is with a small backyard homegate party!

While a tailgate party is an outdoor bash that takes place before a sporting event at the parking lot of a stadium, a homegate party that you hold in your backyard. A tailgate party will include a grill, a tailgate canopy, portable folding chairs, a sturdy but compact camping table, a trusty metal cooler, and plenty of food and drinks.

A homegate party gives you all the benefits of a tailgate without the added stress of gameday traffic, need to prep food the night before, or the need to pack your car or truck with tailgating gear. Additionally, homegating allows you to keep your party as intimate as you’d like. You can make it a family affair, or just invite the neighbors over for a pre-game meal.

While the big game atmosphere can make tailgating a unique experience, you can replicate the feel in your own backyard. In fact, when you’re homegating, you aren’t restricted to one or two parking spaces. You’ll have more room to set up tables and chairs, games like cornhole, and to generally just stretch out. Also, you’ll have the convenience of setting up and breaking down your backyard in your own time frame, and not when the stadium parking lot is open.

It doesn’t matter if you live in the cold Kansas City area, the warmth of the Tampa Bay area, or anywhere else in the United States. Even thought the 54 of the 55 of big championship football games have been played in warmer weather or indoor stadiums, it’s a sport that’s played in just about any weather. Those who tailgate at Kansas City games dress in layers to stay warm. Fans of the team in Tampa know how to stay cool under the blazing sun.

As soon as the warmer weather hits, most people can’t wait to soak up the summer sun. However, significant sun exposure can often lead to premature skin aging, wrinkles, cataracts, and life-threatening skin cancer. Skin cancer is considered the most common type of cancer, and millions fall victim to this disease every year.  In fact, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. (Source: Skin Cancer Foundation) With such high risks, are you doing all you can to maximize skin cancer prevention?

Skin Cancer Prevention: The Facts

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, increasing damage to the ozone layer greatly intensified the risk of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure over the years. While ozone-depleting substances are now regulated to help minimize damage, scattered UV rays can still have an impact even on the cloudiest days.

How does skin cancer occur?

Everyday sunlight (regardless of clouds) omits UVA and UVB rays, which age the skin and cause sunburn. Too much radiation exposure damages your skin cell’s genetic materials, accelerating cell growth which then leads to skin cancer. Even getting a sunburn just once in a two-year time-span can triple your risk of melanoma. (Source: Cancer Research UK)