Congratulations to the 2019 Seattle 3-Day Milestone Award Winner, Mary Ann Isaac

Please join us in congratulating our 2019 Seattle Milestone Award Winners; Mary Ann Isaac. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Milestone Award is given at each event to a walker or crew member who has an outstanding history of participation in the Komen 3-Day. At the Seattle 3-Day camp show, we presented Mary Ann with this special honor.

Friends like Kathy Giller say that “Mary Ann has been a tour de force in her fundraising efforts to help fight breast cancer. She was inducted into Susan G. Komen’s inaugural class of its Lifetime Commitment Circle as a major contributor. It’s been my honor to have Mary Ann as a friend, fellow warrior, and supporter of a cause that we are both passionate about.”

Mary Alexander echoes that love, and even credits Mary Ann with introducing her to the 3-Day.

“Mary Ann is the most caring person I know. Her dedication to Susan G. Komen is just one example. Her commitment to fundraising, training, and walking inspire me to be a better person.

Mary Ann asked me to walk with her at her first 3-Day walk. I was not sure I could do it. And then we completed the 60 miles. The 3-Day event has such a positive impact on your life, and it changes you. It gives you a new confidence and sense of accomplishment while you are helping others. The 3-Day is Mary Ann’s way of having a positive impact on many people she has not yet met. I am in awe of the life changing impact of Mary Ann’s fund raising is having and I could not be prouder to be the friend of an 11-time walker.”

What was your inspiration to do your first 3-Day?

My cousins walked in the 2008 Cleveland 3-Day. Both their mom (my aunt) and my mom are survivors. My cousins had such an amazing time and signed up for the 2009 walk. They asked my to walk with them. I said “YES” and signed up for my very first 3-Day.

What has brought you back to the 3-Day year after year?

The 3-Day is an amazing experience. Once you have experienced the pink bubble, it is impossible to walk away. I believe in Susan G. Komen and am excited to continue to hear about research the 3-Day helps to fund and the advancements being made to find a cure.

What is the secret to your 3-Day fundraising success?

I am fortunate to have very supportive family, friends, and colleagues. My fundraising success is all about perseverance. I ask, remind, and ask again. Most people are willing to donate, they just need to be asked when they have a few minutes to donate. Reminding them on a periodic basis helps tremendously 🙂 In addition, saying thank you and sending thank you cards after the event, keep my sponsors coming back year after year.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I always use the 3-Day as my fun fact when I am asked about it (it’s another opportunity to fundraise). Another fun fact is that I spend more nights in a hotel in a year than I spend in my own bed. I have been traveling for work 4-5 days a week for over 30 years.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned on the 3-Day? The most important lessons I have learned include:

If you are a solo walker, find fellow walkers that walk your speed and meet them. Walking is more fun in a group than solo!
Bring icy hot! it is a life-saver after a long day of walking

Meet Your Seattle 3-Day Coaches

It’s a busy week in the 3-Day world, and our Seattle coaches are hard at work getting an amazing weekend ready for you! They’re excited to bring the 3-Day to the West Coast. If you don’t know them yet, the Seattle 3-Day team is a group of women you’re going to love meeting this weekend! They’re dedicated, enthusiastic, and will be in your corner every step of the way.

That includes Coach Liz, who her fellow coaches call “the goddess of the 3-Day.” She has walked many times as well as a long-time coach and knows the 3-Day experience front to back.

Coach Amy says, “I have never met anyone so dedicated to taking care of our participants and sprinkling her love to make sure every interaction is filled with care. Liz always has a personal story that she can connect to a participant and always makes that walker or crew member feel supported.”

That love exists for Coach Amy, too! She is the crew’s biggest advocate and Liz goes as far to say that “she does magical work with our awesome crew. She is always so sweet and has a kind word for everyone.”

Coach Amy works alongside Coach Kiki, both working to help our crew have the best weekend possible. Kiki is hilarious and oh so productive, remaining calm no matter what problems come her way. Kiki can’t wait to be back in Seattle again after a few years and knows that both walkers and crew will have a “whole lot of smiles and hard-core belly laughs” to look forward to over the next few days. If you ever need a smile (or a sing along to your favorite Lizzo song!), Kiki is your gal!

Coach Aubrey will also bring plenty of smiles on event…and she’ll sing along with you to Lizzo, too! She’s a singer in her free time, and will even be performing at camp!

“Aubrey’s infectious enthusiasm for the Seattle 3-Day is contagious,” Coach Amy says with a smile. “Her passion for cultivating relationships in order to form partnerships and strengthen the 3-Day community inspires me daily. When you talk to Aubrey, you can’t help but smile.”

Last, but certainly not least, is our amazing Event Production Manager, Ann. Aubrey says she glues their group together, and “is super laid back and flexible. She’s always willing to hear suggestions from myself and the walkers!”

Ann has planned a beautiful route for all of you, and the coaches can’t wait for you to experience every step of this amazing weekend! Spots to keep an eye out for. Here are the coaches’ favorites…

Day One’s walk across the 520 Bridge and into Medina
Day One also has a scenic lunch stop at Bellevue Downtown Park
Day Two’s trek along the waterfront in Kirkland
Our new Honor Ceremony at camp on Saturday evening
Of course, Day Three’s stop in Gasworks Park and Lake Union Park
The Rose Garden is also a fan favorite
The new Finish Line Festival will also be tons of fun for spectators and participants alike

From our Opening Ceremony at the Space Needle, to the many nature trails and picturesque parks you’ll experience throughout the weekend, our Seattle coaches know it will be a weekend to remember!

Coach Amy summed that feeling up nicely.

“The Seattle 3-Day Crew community is truly a beautiful example of what happens when you allow love to rule over everything you do. On the 3-Day, you will experience something that defies explanation. You will be challenged, inspired, pushed harder and appreciated more than you ever have before. It is a magical thing and I wish I could bottle up this magic and sprinkle it all year long!”

We can’t wait to see that magic throughout Seattle this weekend ?

2019 Seattle 3-Day Route Preview

The weekend is almost here! Hot on the heels of an amazing New England 3-Day, we’re heading to the West Coast and taking our walk to Seattle! As we gear up for three days of family, fun and inspiration, we are excited to debut a few changes to the Seattle 3-Day this year while still hitting our favorite spots along the way. Event Production Manager Ann Love is giving us the details on everything we should look forward to.

Get excited because our Opening Ceremony will once again be at the Seattle Center at the Fountain Lawn. We will kick off our 60-mile journey in the shadow of the Space Needle, with some new additions to the Opening Ceremony to make this a truly special morning.

Ann is excited about being back at the Fountain Lawn for several reasons.

“It’s an iconic spot that is a great place to start our journey…plus we have access to indoor restrooms! Take advantage while you can!”

After we leave Seattle Center, we will be heading out on the picturesque route of Day One, which is similar – but shorter! – than last year. We will cross over the 520 Pedestrian Bridge, which is more picturesque than some of the bridge options we have used in the past.

From there, we will walk south through Medina, which is a very cute, quaint little town where some Seattle heavy hitters (Hi, Bill Gates!) have their homes. We’ll also be making our way through the Bellevue neighborhood for lunch at Downtown Park. Ann loves this spot, especially for the little waterfall that makes it extra relaxing. From lunch, we will exit through Bellevue and go into Redmond.

We have a new pit stop 4 to look forward to in the afternoon and Ann thinks walkers will be especially excited for that change! From there, we will return to our outdoor camp at Marymoor Park. We are back in the original campground spot this year, after making a move in 2018. Ann loves being back at our “home” at camp.

“This area will be a great spot to keep the whole camp experience close together and has more parking for Crew! There is also a big parking lot for hotel shuttles, and for Friends and Family Night, so there will be plenty of space and less extra walking. The outdoor camp really gives us our own special 3-Day space. We are our own community.”

Be sure to stick around camp for our new camp programs, including 3-Day BINGO on Friday night and a very special Honor Ceremony on Saturday.

“People really seem to like the changes in our evening camp programs,” Ann smiles. “There is lots of laughter on Friday night! And I’m excited to see them in an outdoor setting for the first time this year.”

After a nice rest, we will kick off Day Two by heading west out of Marymoor Park and onto the trails in downtown Redmond and then into Kirkland. Lunch on Day Two means our new Halfway Celebration so be sure to practice your dance! Ann wants to see a whole crowd doing their best moves during lunch ?

Walkers will cross Kirkland Corridor in the afternoon, and then our grab & go will be on the Google Campus like usual. From there, we’ll come back into Redmond and camp. You’ll even get a little time along the water in Kirkland, which is always a beautiful plus that makes Seattle extra special!

Day Three will be here before we know it, and Sunday will start with a short bus ride in the morning to the University of Washington, near the Husky sports complexes.

We will spend some more time on the trails on Day Three, hitting Woodland Park before skirting Woodland Park Zoo and the Woodland Rose Garden. We don’t actually go through the garden, but if you wanted to make a detour, there will be pretty photo opportunities!

Before lunch we will once again make a stop at Gaslight Park, and the Row for the Cure Festival will be there again this year. We are happy to share the space with them and get more pink festivities going!

Lunch will be at Lake Union Park before we head into town through the Amazon portion of the city. Walkers will go around Pike Place and walk near the waterfront from there. Ann loves that walkers get to spend some nice time along the waterfront and walk through the parks in that neighborhood.

You will hit pit stop 3 along the water, then come back into the city and spend the last 1-2 miles in the Queen Anne District before coming to our finish line.

We are once again ending back at the Seattle Center, but with one exciting change! We will be doing the Closing Ceremony right there on the Fountain Lawn, which means less walking and more great photos! It will really be a great experience and bring any spectators like your family and friends, to the Finish Line Festival, the celebration of the end of our walk.

Ann, our Seattle 3-Day coaches, and our entire 3-Day family, can’t wait to head west and get this amazing weekend started! We will see you all soon!