The Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 15 to adopt a resolution creating "Check Your Cherries" Day, a local awareness initiative aimed at increasing breast self-checks and screening uptake. The designation honors Holly T. Bird, a Traverse City Area Public Schools board member and indigenous activist who died of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in April 2025, and was introduced during the regular county meeting by Commissioner TJ Andrews.

The action follows personal testimony presented to the board by residents Sarah Kuschell, Bird’s sister, and breast cancer survivor Michelle Bostic. Their stories underscored the emotional and practical toll of breast cancer on families and communities and reinforced calls for both prevention outreach and deeper investigation into why Grand Traverse County is seeing diagnosis rates for women under 50 that exceed state averages. Local coverage of the resolution appeared Oct. 16 in outlets including The Ticker and UpNorthLive.

Supporters framed the resolution as a community-level step to save lives by encouraging regular self-exams and timely mammograms. The grassroots "Check Your Cherries" group that helped shepherd the effort intends the second Saturday in October to become a local tradition of outreach, education and support. Advocates say that regular awareness actions may help detect cancers earlier in a county that has limited access to cancer clinical trials north of Kent County, a disparity noted by Grand Traverse County Health Officer Mike Lahey during discussions about research and treatment access.

Public health experts and community advocates have pointed to past research that raised questions about geographic patterns of breast cancer in the region. In 2016, epidemiologist Dr. Kelly Hirko identified potential links to agricultural areas, including Old Mission Peninsula, but that work remained unfunded and incomplete. The resolution and recent presentations emphasized the need to secure funding for updated epidemiologic study and to expand clinical trial availability so local patients are not forced to travel long distances for cutting-edge care.

Beyond the immediate aim of promoting self-checks, the measure spotlights systemic issues affecting rural and northern Michigan communities: limited clinical trial infrastructure, disparities in research funding, and the particular vulnerabilities of younger women who are being diagnosed at higher rates here. Organizers and county officials framed the resolution as a first step rather than an endpoint, saying the county must translate awareness into concrete policy action — from expanding screening programs to advocating for research grants and trial sites.

For residents, the resolution offers both remembrance and practical guidance: it recognizes a local leader taken too soon by breast cancer and establishes a recurring day to encourage vigilance and community support. Advocates suggested next steps include updating county health data on current breast cancer rates and tracking progress on securing research grants and clinical-trial access. As Grand Traverse moves forward, the resolution places local attention on prevention and equity in cancer care, while highlighting the work still needed to understand and address elevated breast cancer burdens in the region.