Cleveland’s Top Fundraisers Announced

We are excited to announce the Cleveland 3-Day’s Top Fundraisers! Everyone has done such a fabulous job in raising dollars that support breast cancer research for finding a cure, but a few this year have gone above and beyond. We had a chance to recognize them tonight at the Camp Show.

Top Crew Fundraiser: Lars Larsen from the Lunch Crew, $2934

Lars Larsen is awarded the Top Crew Fundraiser for the Cleveland 3-Day 2013

Top Team Fundraisers: “Breast Man Walking” with Captain Kathy Giller, $58100

"Breast Men Walking" wins the Top Team Fundraising at the Cleveland 3-Day 2013

“Breast Man Walking” wins the Top Team Fundraising at the Cleveland 3-Day 2013

And drumroll, please. Our Top Individual Fundraiser for the Cleveland 3-Day 2013 is Kathy Giller, $43222

Kathy Giller is congratulated by Dr. Sheri and the Cleveland 3-Day audience as the Top Individual Fundraiser of 2013

What an amazing job to these individuals for their dedicated service to helping end breast cancer forever!

Crafting the Perfect Fundraising Letter

Each summer, I eagerly anticipate the announcement of the next year’s 3-Day event series schedule. When the 2014 3-Day schedule was posted today, I was happy to see that the 2014 San Diego 3-Day will take place on the same weekend in November that I have come to love. My 2013 event is 109 days away and I am ready to start fundraising for 2014!

As a 3-Day coach, I hear from participants who tell me they don’t know what to say in their fundraising letter. My response is always, “Tell me why you became a 3-Day walker.” It‘s amazing how easily the words then flow. Inspired, tearful or celebratory, I love hearing what motivated them, and after listening to their story, I tell the walker, “Congratulations. You just wrote your fundraising letter!”

One walker who needs no help writing his fundraising letter is Burt Lipshie. Burt started his 3-Day journey in 2004 in San Diego and has not stopped walking since! Burt completed his 15th 3-Day in Boston this past weekend, and is preparing for his 16^th and 17^th 3-Day journeys in Chicago and Dallas. I asked him to share the secrets of his fundraising success. Continue reading →

First-timers on the Boston 3-Day

Everyone give a warm welcome to Cyndi, Sandy and Denise!

Cyndi Whitehead, Sandy Haynes, and Denise Vaudrin during lunch on the Boston 3-Day.

When Cyndi Whitehouse of Springfield, Massachusetts, was diagnosed with breast cancer 30 years ago, she probably could not foresee July 26, 2013 as her first day on a Susan G. Komen 3-Day^® Series with sister Sandy Haynes and good friend Denise Vaudrin! Here they are, and being with them even for a few minutes at lunch gave me the sense of their great love for each other and of life. Cyndi asked her sister and friend to walk with her, and they gladly said, “Yes!”

How did they remember their first day? “Ouch!” They recommend a lot of training to prepare walkers for the long days. They also had some great ideas for fundraising, as they had a local vineyard hold a wine tasting, complete with a relabeled wine “Poppy’s Girls” (named after the sisters’ father). It sounded like a great evening with everyone happy and interested in breast cancer research and finding a cure.