Ribbon-cutting ceremony for breast cancer awareness

Ava De Castro Lawdanski, rising senior at Mount Saint Dominic Academy and an ambassador Girl Scout, launched her “Tie Kearny Pink” Making an Impact Pink Ribbon Campaign for breast cancer awareness at Kearny Town Hall on Saturday, October 12, 2024. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony with breast cancer survivors, Mayor Carol Jean Doyle, Council Members Marytrine De Castro, Gerald Ficeto, and George Zapata, Senator Angela V. McKnight, Patty Bishop of Minette’s Angels Foundation, representatives from Emma Quintana’s Mujeres Valientes (Brave Women), Rev. Peggy E. Holder, Pastor of the Grace Methodist Church, and Girl Scout Service Unit Manager, Marybeth Kennedy. Survivors in attendance delivered moving speeches, and attendees decorated trees with pink ribbons to promote breast cancer awareness.

Ava is working towards achieving her Gold Award which requires planning and dedication to a project of choice and commitment of at least 80 hours of work. Eligible Scouts have earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and completed one Senior or Ambassador Journey. Ava noted, “My goal is to make an impact in my community by sharing the important message that research shows early detection, self-examination, and mammography screenings can save lives. Many residents have never had a mammography because they are underinsured, uninsured or do not have access to health resources and screenings. By connecting the community to mobile mammography screenings, our community will have better health outcomes in the fight against Breast Cancer.”

As part of her work, Ava is working with healthcare providers to bring a Mammography Mobile Unit to Kearny residents for the first time on Friday, December 6, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The mobile unit will be parked in front of the Kearny Town Hall and providers will offer screenings to Kearny residents; an event Ava hopes will be an annual occurrence in her hometown of Kearny.

Earlier this year, Ava had the honor of presenting her women’s empowerment research at the first Women’s Day initiative in Kearny where she highlighted women’s history and scenes from the movie, “Barbie” and shared messages on encouraging women to embrace their differences, find common ground and work together to break through barriers to achieve their goals, uplift and share in the happiness of their accomplishments.