At the Center of Hope on the Northside, Jada Hunter inspires women to get their mammograms on the Buddy Bus and introduces our new champ, Tomika.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — At the Center of Hope inside the Emmett Reed Community Center on Jacksonville’s Northside — in the heart of a low-income neighborhood — the excitement built as dozens gathered to see who would be named this month’s Buddy Check Champ.
It’s a place where the First Coast News Buddy Bus often rolls in, bringing life-saving access to mammograms for women who otherwise might not get one.
In 2023, community leader Jada Hunter took her own advice and went aboard the Buddy Bus for her mammogram.
“Thank goodness,” she says — “the Buddy Bus, for me, saved my life.”
This year, Jada helped lead the charge with a new rallying cry: “Give Cancer the Boot!”
And this month’s Buddy Check Champ is someone who’s done exactly that — breast cancer survivor Tomika Ivey.
Tomika is using her story to lift others up, inspiring her community with faith, grit, and creativity. She launched Mika’s Mixes, turning fruits and veggies into healthy juices and hope.
“If when God tell you he’s gonna do something, you gotta believe that he’s going to do it, and I’m a living witness of that.”
Tomika’s positivity and purpose earned her the title of Buddy Check Champ for October — part of First Coast News’ continuing recognition all through Breast Cancer Awareness Month of women who turn survival into strength.
Buddy Check, created by First Coast News anchor Jeannie Blaylock in partnership with Baptist Health and MD Anderson, has been saving lives for more than 30 years. You can get a free Buddy Check kit mailed right to your home — it includes a waterproof card you can hang in your shower to remind you to do a simple breast self-exam.
And if Buddy Check helped you find your cancer, Jeannie Blaylock would love to hear from you. You can email her at jblaylock@firstcoastnews.com.
