NEW YORK CITY — The city's beaches will officially open to swimmers Saturday, with some offering free sunscreen for beachgoers for the first time.
City beaches will remain open through the Labor Day weekend and lifeguards will be on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, according to the Parks Department.
The agency also launched a pilot program this year to install 100 dispensers to give out free sunscreen at beaches across the city after a report from Comptroller Scott Stringer last year called for them to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
"Millions flock to our beaches each summer; spending hours under the sun, recharging on our city’s glorious shoreline,” Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in a statement. "While being watersafe, enjoying the recreational activities and righting their minds, Parks also wants New Yorkers to be sun safe."
The dispensers — donated by IMPACT Melanoma and Bright Guard — will give out 1,000 liters of free SPF 30 sunscreen to beach goers during the course of the summer.
While New York City's 14 miles of beaches will open for swimmers this weekend, the city's outdoor pools will re-open June 29, according to the Parks Department.
