Congratulations to the Seattle 3-Day’s Milestone Award Winner, Tina M.!

Join us in congratulating the Susan G. Komen Seattle 3-Day Milestone Award winner, Tina McDonough, who was recognized in camp on Saturday of the Seattle event. Tina first walked the 3-Day in 2007 in Seattle, and has walked a total of 11 times (8 in Seattle and 3 in San Diego). She’ll make it an even dozen when she walks in San Diego this November. Tina is the captain of Valley Girls & Guys, Seattle’s largest team (which also has a San Diego team). Between their Seattle and San Diego teams, Valley Girls & Guys has raised over $1.8 million for Susan G. Komen® since 2007.

While Tina’s legendary status with the 3-Day has been firmly established, her start with the event was humble and strikingly similar to many: she was recruited by friends to walk in memory of a friend’s sister. That first year, Tina also dedicated her walk to her friend Michelle, who was battling a cancer recurrence at the time. Tina recalls, “We walked that year and I swore I would be back volunteering my time not walking (as we did not train and I hurt super bad). But then that December, Michelle passed away at 38. Watching her husband and daughter fall apart at her funeral I thought to myself, I can’t not do anything. So I formed a team. That foursome team has turned into a 180 walkers between Seattle and San Diego and quickly became my life passion. I am doing exactly what I was meant to do and we will never give up until we find a cure!”

Tina shared that the Valley Girls & Guys team had 15 survivors within its ranks last year alone, and those brave teammates are a big part of what brings Tina back to the 3-Day year after year. “I feel like if I give up or quit doing the 3-Day I would be giving up on them, and I will never give up on any survivor/friend! This is my second family and I love every single one of them with all my heart!”

With nearly $2 million raised by Valley Girls & Guys in less than a decade, we had to ask Tina about the secret to her team’s 3-Day fundraising success. “Our team secret is we are family! We would do anything for each other and we do our fundraising together as a team. We have a huge March fun night out (coming up on our 8th year this coming March) where we typically raise over $150,000, and any teammates who participate, attend, etc. receive monies towards their fundraising. Just that one event gets many of our team members halfway to their fundraising goal.” Tina knows that that boost of help and the ongoing support from the team family is usually enough to get everyone motivated to succeed.

Apart from participating in the 3-Day, Tina and her team show remarkable support for the breast cancer community in other ways too. Since February of 2013, Valley Girls & Guys have made and sent 284 personalized blankets, which they call blankets of “comfort and hope,” to cancer patients and survivors all over the U.S., and as far as Germany and Australia (each blanket is created with a photo of the team, and inspirational quote and the recipient’s name). Tina also shared an exciting new endeavor that the team is about to begin: “The other thing our team is starting is The Who House – Harnessing the Power of Community to Support Cancer Patients and Their Families. I have an office in [the Seattle area] that we are going to open up after hours Monday-Friday for those going through cancer, co-survivors, youth and those who have lost loved ones, as a place they can come talk, get support and have resources to reach out to. We have huge plans for this and are excited to get it started and off the ground.” Tina is a realtor by profession, and not surprisingly, she received the 2013 REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Award, which recognizes realtors who have made an extraordinary impact on their community, or on the national or world stage, through volunteer work.

What is Tina’s best advice for someone thinking about doing the 3-Day? “Just do it and join a team if you can! ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’ (TEAM) and in this case it means not only fundraising money, but you get so much more than what you will ever put in which is amazing. You end up with an experience of a lifetime, lifelong friends, and you are part of something bigger than you and making a huge impact/difference in the world!”

We extend our warm congratulations and heartfelt thanks to Tina and her Valley Girls & Guys teammates for their exceptional dedication to a world without breast cancer.

Meet the Atlanta 3-Day Coaches!

Every Susan G. Komen 3-Day® event has a core team of three coaches, each of whom plays a different role in helping our walkers and crew members prepare for the Komen 3-Day. For months, these dedicated staffers have been having personal conversations with walkers to help them with their training and fundraising, have hosted dozens of local events to bring participants together and build a community of encouragement, and have organized and inspired the amazing team of crew captains and crew members.

Let’s meet the coaches for the Atlanta 3-Day®!

Tara Preyers – Atlanta Local Events Coach

susan g. komen 3-day breast cancer walk blog atlanta coach tara

Tara and her (literally) sparkling personality!

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer. – “Living my passion through inspiration, fanny packs and boas!”

We’re a couple weeks from the Atlanta event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “It’s a bit of a mumbo-jumbo. I’m working on all things to paint the route pink and with hugs, high fives and treats. Spending lots of time finalizing all of the little pieces that I’ve been working on all year long. Making “to-do” list after “to-do” list and crossing things off with excitement. I also travel to all of the 3-Day events, so I’ve been busy. Oh, and decorating for my favorite season…FALL!”

What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “1) I jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feet; 2) I have a serious bag obsession (purses, duffels, reusable, you name it, I need lots of them!); 3) I could eat peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

Susan Wynne – Atlanta Participant Coach

susan g. komen 3-day breast cancer walk blog atlanta coach susan

Photo booth fun with Susan and family

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer. – “I help our incredible participants do great things!”

We’re a couple weeks from the Atlanta event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “Super busy! As the event gets closer, we’re working on last minute donations, helping participants get checked in, and lots of event-related questions. I get to talk to people about what they have done to get to this point, and hear the stories about what brought them to the 3-Day. I have loved getting to know our participants through all of our phone and email interactions over the last few months, and I can’t wait to see everyone in person in a couple of weeks!”

What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “I’m pretty much an open book (or not that interesting) because I don’t think there is much that people don’t know about me, but here’s a shot: 1) I think I’m secretly a 13 year old girl. I love all the pop music, TV shows, and silly stuff that comes along with that age; 2) I played the flute in high school and can still whip out a pretty good tune; 3) I can’t live without coffee or my new addiction of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Almonds with sea-salt and turbinado sugar. Both are integral to my success in getting through the day.”

Libby Riordan – Atlanta Crew & Volunteer Coordinator

susan g. komen 3-day breast cancer walk blog atlanta coach libby

Ready to show her meal no mercy!

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer. – “Supporting and empowering the awesome Atlanta Crew!”

We’re a couple weeks from the Atlanta event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “Most of my days leading up to event are spent communicating with captains and crew members and delivering all of the final details. I always tell people that the 3-Day is like planning a wedding. You spend months getting ready, planning, and preparing, but lots of things change before the big day. It gets a little crazy towards the end making sure that the captains have everything they need and that every crew is ready to rock on event!”

What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “1) I love to sing. I can listen to a song once and know all the words! It drives my friends crazy; 2) I was on a home makeover TV show where we turned my friend’s backyard into a beach. Lots of sand!; 3) I knew I wanted work for the 3-Day after the Opening Ceremony the first time I walked, in 2005.”

Going to be at the Atlanta 3-Day? Come meet coaches Tara and Susan at two special meet-and-greets, on Friday and Saturday in camp, between 6-7 p.m. in the 3-Day Lounge.

3-Day Fall Fundraising Ideas

Whether you’re still raising money for a 2014 Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, or you’re getting an early jump on your fundraising for 2015, fall is a great time to re-energize your Komen 3-Day fundraising. Here are some practical and creative fundraising ideas to help you fall toward your goals!

iStockPhotos

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – As you probably know, October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a great time for you to make your friends and family aware of your part in the breast cancer cause. Wear a 3-Day® shirt around town or on training walks, and take advantage of opportunities to talk about your 3-Day fundraising efforts. Often, a little conversation is all that’s needed to ignite a new supporter’s interest.

Fall = Follow Up – When’s the last time you reached out to your donor base? Take the turning of the new season as an inspiration to send an email to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers, and update them on your fundraising and training progress. Let them know about your goals for the last few months of the year and ask for their support. Remember, the real impact of fundraising letters/emails comes with the follow-up. Sometimes people just need that gentle reminder, and October is a fitting time to give a little pink nudge.

Trick-or-Treat for Donations! – We’ve heard a few stories over the years of 3-Day participants going door-to-door for donations on Halloween night. Jenny, a Twin Cities participant, even wore this amazing pink ribbon costume, complete with her “boobie bucket.” You could find all kinds of ways to dress up for the cause (there’s no shortage of pink superhero costumes, pink wigs, pink tutus, etc. out there this time of year), and even get some training in by walking around your neighborhood.

Warm Up Those Fall Sports Fans – Is your town overtaken with high school or college football fever this time of year? Or are you tight with the local soccer moms at Saturday morning games? How about selling hot chocolate or coffee to tail-gaters or at the sports fields? If you want to think a little bigger, you could even make some no-sew fleece blankets to sell. As always, make sure people know their purchase is going toward your fundraising efforts and often, they’ll invite you to keep the change, too.

Give Thanks, Get Donations – While Thanksgiving is not typically a gift-giving occasion, the feel-good vibe of the holiday tends to put people in a generous spirit. Share that spirit of gratitude by telling people—in person, on Facebook, with a hand-written note—how much they mean to you, and how grateful you are for the advances in breast health that Susan G. Komen® and the 3-Day have helped fund.

Black Friday = Pink Friday! – The day after Thanksgiving, informally known as Black Friday, is the busiest day of the year for retailers. Challenge your friends and family to calculate 10% of what they plan to spend on shopping that day, and instead donate it to your fundraising efforts (this challenge could extend all the way through the weekend to Cyber Monday, the busiest online shopping day). Or, if you’re feeling especially bold and adventurous, sell coffee and donuts to patrons who line up outside their favorite stores early on Friday morning. They’ll appreciate the breakfast options, and you’ll earn some money toward your 3-Day goals.

Giving Tuesday – On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back to charitable causes. Take advantage of all of the warm and generous feelings flying about (not to mention the wallets that have already been loosened by Thanksgiving weekend shopping) and ask for a donation to support your fight to end breast cancer.

What other fabulous fundraising ideas can you fashion for the fall season? Share them in comments or on Facebook!