As we approach the start of the 2015 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season, you are probably seeing an uptick in donations coming in. At the end of last year, we shared some ways to thank your Komen 3-Day donors after your event is over, but we thought you might also like some ideas of ways to thank them during your 3-Day®.
Carry Them With You – Many walkers find thoughtful and creative ways to recognize and bring their donors along with them while they walk. You can write their names (and the names of the people whom they donated in honor or in memory of) on pink ribbons that you wear on your hat or waist pack. You can inscribe their names on a t-shirt. If you’re feeling very creative, names of donors could also be celebrated on fairy wings, a cape or a tutu.
Make Your Gratitude Social – Chances are you will be updating your social media throughout your 3-Day weekend anyway, so be sure to take some of those posting breaks to tag and thank your donors too. They’re the ones who helped get you to the 3-Day, so it makes perfect sense to recognize them publicly on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as you post from the road.
Say Thank You With a Photo – A great way to thank your donors is to take a picture of you at the 60-mile banner on Day 3 and turn it into a photo card. There are countless websites (Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, Snapfish, etc.) where you can create photo cards, and adding this personal touch brings your thank you notes to a whole new level. If you’re part of a team, think about making it a team photo card; then you can order in bulk and everyone can use them!
Dedicate a Mile – Taking the photo thank you idea one step further, you could dedicate a mile to each of your donors (assuming you have 60 or fewer!). Make a small tribute card with the mile number and the donor’s name, then snap a quick picture of you holding the card when you reach that point on the route. You can post these on social media and/or send the pictures to your donors after the event is over.
Renew Your Commitment – A perfect way to show your donors how grateful you are for their support and how dedicated you are to ending breast cancer is to renew your own commitment and register for a 2016 3-Day event. Walker registration for all seven events will open on August 11.
These are just a few ideas, but you can let your creativity take you anywhere when it comes to showing your thanks.
When I first heard about the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, one of my first thoughts was, “Twenty miles each day for three days? Could I really do that?” Thankfully, the people around me who knew and loved the Komen 3-Day immediately reassured me that if at any point I couldn’t walk, there was a solution: sweep vans! Hearing this term, I couldn’t help but think of vans with giant brooms attached to them, like Zambonis for suburban roads. Thankfully, I quickly learned about what sweep vans really are, and with that, I signed myself up for the 2014 San Diego 3-Day® and dove wholeheartedly into fundraising and training. On Day 1, I was thrilled to have made it to about mile 13 with no ailments. However, shortly after lunch, I developed a blister the size of a quarter between my toes. Ouch! The kind folks on the medical crew fixed me up, and I hobbled on. Then, at mile 16, I took a step and felt a searing pain as the blister popped. I took a few more tentative steps, but decided I needed to wrap it up for the day. So I hopped in a sweep van for the first time, and was instantly delighted to be in a mustache-themed rolling relief station, complete with disco music blaring and two incredibly kind ladies who brought me to the final pit stop.
Besides the great music, smooth ride, and the chance to rest and relax my aching foot, I got to meet several 3-Dayers – some brand new, some veterans on their 15th walk. I loved hearing their stories about why they did the 3-Day, and in just a few miles of that ride we bonded over the reasons, both heartbreaking and inspiring, that we were all in San Diego that weekend. Though the circumstances that had brought us to walk were sometimes tragic, what was empowering was knowing we were all in it together, fighting breast cancer with our footsteps. No blister, leg cramp, or exhaustion could take away our desire to keep up the fight. And without the shared experience of being “swept” in San Diego, I may have never heard those stories or made those lasting connections. It was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Last week on Facebook, we asked people for their experience with 3-Day sweep vans. As usual, the stories from our 3-Day community made us smile. Your experiences, while diverse, always pointed back to one overarching theme: What an amazing community the 3-Day is to be a part of. Please enjoy a few stories of the sweep life, and to read through them all, visit this post on Facebook.
“Our very first 3 day, we had to be swept at the end of day 2. We were all so upset and very emotional about it. The ladies that picked us up were so wonderful and reminded us how far we had come and that we had no reason to be upset. The 2nd time we walked the whole thing without being swept but still love the encouragement they give while driving by!” – Sarah
“In January of 2005, at age 32, I completed my treatment and reconstruction from my breast cancer diagnosis. To celebrate my journey, I wanted to walk in the Arizona Susan G. Komen 3-Day. I signed up & one week later found out I was pregnant w my due date being 3 weeks after the walk! Nothing was going to stop me, I was determined to walk despite being 36 weeks pregnant. However there was something that did stop me on Day 1; CONTRACTIONS!! But thanks to the sweep van, I made it through Day 1 & the rest of the weekend! I am an 11 year survivor & my son is 9! THANK YOU SWEEP VAN!” – Bonny
“I went into last year knowing that I would have to sweep. I have bad hips. It was the best experience that I’ve had in the three days journey ever. The crew is unbelievable and is so nice. I went into year for last year knowing that I would have to sweep. It was the best experience that I’ve had in a 3-Day journey ever. The crew is unbelievable. A week after the 3-Day last year I had my second hip replacement, my left hip. This year I walk with two replaced hips. I can’t wait for the journey but I can tell you this I will probably sleep because it’s so much fun. Love you guys, thanks for all of your support!” -Sue
And here’s a little perspective from one of your friendly crew members on driving a sweep van:
“Being on the sweep van crew is all about having a servant heart! We truly love the walkers and we know encouragement along the way is just as important as providing a ride! We know there are walkers that hate the idea of sweeping and we get it. We won’t make you ride if you don’t want to, but we can’t guarantee we won’t circle back around and check on you repeatedly!” – Carrie
Have you ever ridden in a 3-Day sweep van? What was your experience like? As we enter 3-Day season, we want to remind you that there is no shame in taking a sweep van at any point during your 60-mile journey. Whether you’re a resistant passenger or a willing rider, the sweep van gets you closer to the goal that we all share: a world without breast cancer.
You hear a lot of things on the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, but we’d bet our fanny packs that there are some things you’ll never hear a Komen 3-Day walker say.
“Pink isn’t really my color.”
“No thanks, I think I’ve had too many grahamwiches already.”
“I haven’t needed to pee for like 6 hours!”
“I wish the crew was more helpful and spirited.”
“I just walk, ya know. I don’t really even pay attention to how far I have left to go.”
“Nah, we don’t need a picture of that.”
“Oh, are the local bike cops here? I hadn’t noticed.”
“That cheering station was way too loud.”
“Woo! That hill was AWESOME! How long till the next one?”
“Mac n’ cheese? Pass.”
“I just love how everyone’s wardrobe choices are so reserved.”
“Why is that man wearing a bra? That’s just weird.”
“Why is that motorcycle wearing a bra? That’s just weird.”
“I think I have too many pins.”
“I know we’re stopped at a light, but I really don’t feel like I need to stretch.”
“Tell you my story? Sorry, I don’t really like talking to strangers.”
“It’s too bad no one ever comes up with any clever team names or t-shirt slogans.”
“The 3-Day? Eh, it was okay, but I should’ve just stayed home.”
