The Mammography in Motion Mobile Unit and a Community Health and Wellness Fair take place Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, at the Girl Scouts Heart of NJ Jersey Leadership Center at 375 McCarter Highway, Newark, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The program launched in Kearny for the first time in December 2024 through the work of Ava De Castro Lawdanski, senior Girl Scout Ambassador in partnership with the Town of Kearny, University Hospital, Rutgers Cancer Center of New Jersey and the Minette’s Angels Foundation.
As of July 24, 2025, the program has provided 125 mammograms. Donations received for the program have benefited uninsured registrants.
The program has expanded throughout several communities and will be the first of its kind take place at the Girl Scouts Leadership Center in partnership with the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, health care providers and community leaders, including Newark officials and East Ward Councilman Michael Silva.
The program will include a presentation and education sessions on breast cancer awareness, highlighting the importance of saving lives through prevention, early detection, self-exams and mammogram screenings.
The Mammography in Motion van is a 40-foot vehicle equipped and staffed to offer breast cancer screening services to women aged 40 older who haven’t undergone a mammogram in the past year. The unit is equipped with cutting-edge, high-quality digital 3D mammography technology — known as digital breast tomosynthesis.
Mammography in Motion accepts insurances, Medicare and Medicaid and has community partnerships to cover uninsured or underinsured persons (must meet eligibility requirement).
“Research shows that early detection saves lives and that is something the Mammography in Motion program emphasizes to the community,” Lawdanski said. “Residents are encouraged to schedule a mammogram appointment and attend the Community Health and Wellness Fair to learn about early detection and receive health and wellness resources.”
The health fair will include blood pressure and glucose screenings, meditation resources and more.
Girl Scouts will earn a Breast Cancer Awareness Patch.
To schedule a mammogram appointment, visit https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DtvLwCYxAE-kLlocETexRUvVagNAJ-9OmIG5r305ewZUM0RUMzlYS1U0RTJVQ1dRMDlRTEhSSTI4Ty4u&origin=QRCode
For a schedule of additional screening dates, visit www.kearnynj.org or contact Lawdanski at (201) 889-3118.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.