JACKSONVILLE, Fla — We set out to raise almost $1 million dollars to purchase the Buddy Bus, a bright pink mobile mammography unit. Our partner, Baptist/MD Anderson explained that less than half of women get regular mammograms.
That's a pity, considering a mammogram can detect breast cancer so small you can't even feel it. We're talking about the size of grains of sand.
To raise funds, a lot of women, and men, decorated Buddy Bras for a $20 donation each. On March 11, our last news report on the Buddy Bus before the pandemic hit, we had raised $664,493.
Good. But we still had about a quarter-million to raise.
Seemed like a long way to go, especially during the coronavirus economic downturn. But our First Coast understands the need for early detection, and those who could give did.
Our new total is $855,000-- just short $75,000 to purchase the bus.
It will be made in Ohio and fitted with 3D mammogram technology. The Buddy Bus will serve six local counties.
Marie Peterson is an ovarian cancer survivor. She knows detecting any cancer at its early stages is critical, so she gave her federal stimulus check to the project. "It was a no-brainer," she said.
If you'd like to give a tax-deductible gift so we can purchase the Buddy Bus, go to give.baptistjax.com. Put "FOR BUDDY BUS" in the comment section.