National Volunteer Week: Join the Heart of the 3-Day

It’s National Volunteer Week, a time to highlight the incredible impact volunteers make through acts of service. At the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, volunteers make every step of the journey possible through their commitment to creating an unforgettable experience for participants across the Pink Bubble community. 

Whether it’s managing parking at camp, cheering walkers on with a high-five along the route, or helping participants unload their gear when it gets too heavy to carry and ensure it makes it back to camp, there are countless ways for individuals and groups to get involved and make a difference. 

A volunteer giving support to a walker at the 2025 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day.

People like Amy S. and sons are what make the 3-Day so special. After nearly 20 years supporting the 3-Day Crew, Amy encouraged her sons to start volunteering. 

“Over the past four years or so, my sons and their philanthropy group have supported the 3-Day by helping set up tents and serve food,” Amy shared. “I’ve simply tried to model for my boys the importance of giving back and sharing their time.”  

How to Get Involved 

Volunteers at the 3-Day typically commit just a few hours during a single day, with no fundraising commitment. Whether you’re signing up individually or with a group (corporate teams, school and university groups, scout troops, community organizations, faith-based groups), there are many ways to make an impact, including: 

Volunteers posing near one of the sweeps at the 2025 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day.

  • Cheering squads along the route 
  • Hydration station and pit stop support 
  • Camp set-up and breakdown 
  • Finish Line Festival support/T-shirt distribution 
  • Gear transport and participant assistance 
  • Traffic control and shuttle support 

Age requirements vary by role, with many opportunities available for younger volunteers with adult supervision, and others reserved for those 18+ or with specific medical qualifications.

Join the Crew 

If you‘re able to commit to the full 3-Day event weekend (Thursday afternoon through Sunday), consider joining our amazing Crew! Crew members take on assigned roles that support participants throughout the entire event and commit to raising at least $100.  

Medical professionals are also encouraged to join the medical crew which is an essential part of the 3-Day, providing medical assistance to walkers during the 60-mile event. All medical crew members must hold current, valid licensure. If you’re interested in joining the crew, register here. 

A member of the Medical Crew assisting a walker at the 2025 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day.

The 3-Day is powered by people who show up, give their time and create moments that participants carry with them longer after they reach the finish line. We invite you to be a part of that impact at one of our upcoming 3-Day events: 

Boston (Aug. 21-23, 2026) 

Dallas/Fort Worth (Oct. 23-25, 2026) 

San Diego (Nov. 13-15, 2026) 

Tampa Bay (Feb. 19-21, 2027) 

If you are ready to volunteer your time to do something meaningful, contact us at volunteer@komen.org. 

Tina’s Story: A 3-Day Haiku of Hope and Heartbreak

Tina S. at the 2025 Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Dallas/Fort Worth.

When Tina S. submitted her winning haiku for this month’s  3-Day contest, she wanted to capture the emotion, purpose and perspective that is deeply personal.  

“My mother is a 16-year survivor. She had two different types of breast cancer, one in each breast, at the same time,” Tina said. “It was really tough to watch. She was in so much pain, and I felt like I didn’t do enough.”

Finding the 3-Day 

Three years ago, Tina was introduced to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® and her team, Pink Soles in Motion, by one of her best friends Nadia Martin. What began as a way to get involved quickly became something much more.

At first, she didn’t fully understand what she had signed up for. 

Tina and her best friend Nadia at the Komen 3-Day.

“Nadia told me it was 20 miles, and I know she said it was three days, but it didn’t click that it was 20 miles each day,” Tina said.  

That realization came during her first training walk. 

“Our captain asked how I felt about walking three days, and my jaw dropped,” she said. “I thought it was 20 miles total. That’s something we still laugh about.” 

Since then, Tina has completed the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day twice, but nothing could have prepared her for the emotional impact of the walk. 

“It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” she said. “Walking alongside so many different women, all of these different stories, all of these different stages. I know what my mom went through, but this opened my eyes to so much more.” 

The Meaning Behind the 3-Day Haiku  

That emotional complexity is what inspired Tina’s winning haiku. 

Tina's winning 3-Day haiku

“It’s not all sunshine and roses. It’s not all Pink Bubble. There’s sadness and tears,” Tina said. “The first year I walked with Nadia, there was a photo taken where she’s crying. She had plantar fasciitis, and she had to stop because of the pain. She was devastated. It’s just so many emotions rolled into three days.” 

Tina said she intentionally reflected both sorrow and hope in her poem. 

“People say, ‘We walk until we find a cure,’ but the reality is more complex, and that’s what I wanted to reflect in the haiku,” she said. 

Showing Up for Others 

Tina G. and friends at the Komen 3-Day.

After two years of walking in Dallas/Fort Worth, Tina is continuing her 3-Day journey in new ways. This year, she will walk Day 3 in DFW and host a cheer station during the first two days.  

“The cheer stations are what kept me going,” she said. “Now I want to be that support for others.” 

But it’s the emotion of the 3-Day’s Closing Ceremony that continues to bring her back. 

“There were women I walked with who I knew wouldn’t be there the next year,” Tina said in tears. “That’s the hardest reality. I’m grateful my mom is a survivor, but not everyone is. That’s why I keep showing up … for those people who can’t come back.” 

Tina will also be walking the Tampa Bay 3-Day in 2027 and hopes to continue expanding her participation in the years to come. 

“I want to experience every part of the 3-Day,” she added. “I’d love to volunteer, too.” 

To learn more about the 3-Day, visit the3day.org. 

 

10 Years Behind the 3-Day Camera 

3-Day photographer Michael Der at the closing ceremony of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

At the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, participants aren’t the only ones covering miles each day. For the past 10 years, Mike D. has been right there alongside them — camera in hand, capturing the moments that define the Pink Bubble. 

Walkers at the 2023 Susan G. Komen Denver 3-Day.

Year after year, Mike travels from his home base in San Francisco thousands of miles from one 3-Day city to the next. He is tasked with taking thousands of photos in hopes of capturing the moments that matter the most. 

Along the way, he’s often invited into some of the most personal and emotional parts of the event. 

“The 3-Day has really helped me understand participants’ perspectives and gain a sense of empathy for what they’re going through,” Mike said. “At Memorial Mile, people have asked me to take their photo while they are remembering a loved one. Even in the middle of a moment like that, they welcome me in.” 

3-Day photographer Mike D. at the closing ceremony of the Komen 3-Day.

His journey to becoming such a trusted presence at the 3-Day didn’t start with a personal connection to breast cancer. Instead, it began with a willingness to step into something new. 

“I have no personal connection to breast cancer,” Mike said. “I felt like maybe Komen should hire someone who has a deeper connection to it. But I’m grateful for whatever reason they chose me.” 

Getting the Job Done 

Working solo at the 3-Day, Mike walks each day alongside participants and logs close to 10 miles daily while carrying nearly 30 pounds of equipment.   

“I usually have about five different lenses, two camera bodies and some external lighting just in case I need it,” he explained. “I’d honestly bring more if I could. I’m always thinking of ideas and ways to capture walkers in the best light.” 

Traveling from city to city, Mike also has to be prepared for the unexpected, including lost luggage. 

“I can lose all of my clothing and my toiletries and still do the job,” Mike said with a chuckle. “But everything I need like my hard drives, card readers, memory cards, cameras and lenses stay with me at all times.” 

Beyond the Lens 

For Mike, capturing the 3-Day is as much about logistics as it is about storytelling. 

“I have to keep moving to follow the story of the day,” he said. “I’m shooting for the people who are there, for the people that don’t know the event exists and for the story itself. I’m balancing all these motivations at the same time.” 

The constant movement and the emotional energy of the participants make the 3-Day unlike anything else he’s photographed. 

 “At the end of the event, my battery is depleted,” Mike said.” “But it’s such a blessing to be around the Pink Bubble energy. I’ve made friendships and connections at the 3-Day that just happened organically.”  

Those connections are what stay with him long after the events end. 

“People share their stories with me, even when they don’t have to,” Mike said. “It’s something I never take for granted, and it’s truly an honor to be at the 3-Day for them.” 

3-Day photographer Mike D. poses with a survivor at the Komen 3-Day.

Since 2015, Mike has photographed more than 40 3-Day events. And what started as a freelance job has grown into something much more meaningful. 

“The 3-Day has provided me the opportunity to grow,” he said. “I’m naturally an introvert, but this experience has pushed me in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve learned how to connect with people, even if it’s just in small moments.” 

Mike photographs a wide range of events, including obstacle course races, 5Ks, marathons, weddings and portrait sessions. But he says there is nothing quite like the 3-Day. 

For more information on the 3-Day, visit the3day.org.