Please join us in congratulating our 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Milestone Award Winner; Kathy Espinoza! 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 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day camp show, we presented Kathy with this special honor.

Since her 1^st walk in 2004, Kathy has raised $53,352.44! She has also started the Hope Matters Breast Cancer Foundation to help spread the word of how early detection can saves lives, how to prepare for the experience of treatment, what to expect after treatment, how to cope with the loss of a loved one, and more. This 3-Day will be her 14^th walk, and she’s not stopping anytime soon!

Now let’s hear from Kathy herself. When we asked her these questions, she didn’t know she would soon be selected as our winner!

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

My inspiration was Laura – a cousin by marriage who was diagnosed at the age of 34.

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

I was bitten by the 3-Day bug! If someone would have said 13 years later you will still be walking I would have told them they were crazy! Because of my participation in this event my husband and I have formed our own breast cancer foundation whose primary purpose to provide free mammograms to insured women who otherwise would not have the screening done. To date, we have provided 584 free screenings.

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

I am so very fortunate to have a friends and family who understand my passion and are willing to support me. Also, the fact that as a kid, I attended catholic school where you were always raising money for something. I learned a lot about running events.

What is your best advice to anyone walking the 3-Day?

When you think you cannot take another step know there will always be someone to pick you up. I keep my eyes open for those who seem to be struggling and do my best to walk with them for a bit and let them know they are not alone.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I love trashy novels!! And LOVE my University of Arizona Wildcats – GO CATS AND BEAR DOWN!!

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned on the 3-Day?

If I had never taken that first step of signing up back in 2004 I wouldn’t be where I am today with our own foundation. I have found myself doing things that are so out of my comfort zone it’s not even funny. I have created a free half-day breast cancer seminar, been on TV and talked, and have learned to speak for those who desperately need assistance and someone on their side. I am truly a different and better person because of this experience.

Get ready Georgia, because the 3-Day is coming your way! Our pink bubble will be coming to Atlanta this weekend with an all-new route and very special Closing Ceremony location.

This year’s Atlanta 3-Day will begin at the picturesque Stone Mountain Park, and walkers will spend the day walking through the park as well as Sycamore Park and Atlanta itself. One change you will notice is that as we begin our day, we will be walking straight out of the park instead of around the mountain like we have in the past. However, we will continue to use path trails as much as possible as we walk through the towns of Clarkston and Avondale Estates.

One new sight you’ll see along the way will be the Winship Cancer Institute at Mile 13.9.

Event Manager Melanie Toner says she is happy to be walking by this research facility because it is “where amazing cancer research is being done. It will help everyone see the impact that their fundraising will have on the local community.”

Day One will end after 21.8 miles, back at camp at the Georgia World Congress Center, but in a different hall than in years past. Melanie says this new location, and the new layout of camp, will “help contribute to the community environment that we are really trying to create with camp this year.”

After a nice night of rest, Day Two will begin walking past the Phillips Arena / CNN Center, which will mean you’ll have the opportunity to take some great photos Saturday morning. There will then be plenty of shady areas as we walk Northeast towards Buckhead.

An afternoon highlight will be the Northside Beltline Trail with its old-fashioned train trestle. There will also be a route highlight at mile 16.8 at the High Museum of Art, before we end our day walking by the Center for Civil and Human Rights and the World of Coca-Cola. Stop for a soda before you head back to camp for dinner!

Day Three brings the most changes, which Coach Libby is very excited about! “I am hopeful that the walkers will like all of the changes as much as I do!”

Melanie echoes that, saying Day Three is the part of the Atlanta 3-Day that she is most looking forward to. “I’m so thrilled to bring Atlanta participants a new route! We haven’t had a new route in a long time, but we are bringing them a new experience. We listened to your feedback and we have it for you this year!”

We will be walking through West Atlanta, including the Underwood Hills and Vinings areas before ending with a grand finale.

SunTrust Park, which just opened in April, will be the perfect spot to complete our 60 miles with a great, pink celebration!

Melanie says she, and the whole Atlanta team, are “excited to bring the walkers to this new venue! It’s really beautiful! Atlanta as a city is pumped about this new stadium, so it’s nice to be able to bring the event to there. And the area around the stadium is great as well!”

It will be a momentous end to a weekend of fun. We can’t wait to see you, Atlanta!