Please join us in congratulating our San Diego 3-Day award winners and honorees, who put their heart and soul into fighting breast cancer. While everyone in our community deserves a trophy for their remarkable contributions, we recognize these individuals and teams for their outstanding dedication and commitment to furthering our fight. If you’d like to watch a recording of the award winners and honorees, please click here for Part 1, and here for Part 2.
Top 3 Individual Walker Fundraisers:
- Alycia Klein
- $51,311 raised; $110,921 lifetime raised; 4 years; 4th event; Team – Save The Sisters
- Even though Alycia is responsible for over $20 million a year in sales, she never feels more accomplished then when her daughter has taken a shower and she has actually cooked dinner before 7:30 p.m. on a school night.
- Kathy Giller
- $50,658 raised; $341,073 lifetime raised; 11 years; 18 events; Team – Breast Man Walking (Captain)
- Since her husband Lee’s diagnosis with breast cancer 11 years ago, Kathy and her family have raised over $430,000 to help fund a cure for breast cancer.
- Kimberly Crist
- $30,782 raised; $124,124 lifetime raised; 11 years; 11th event; Team – C-Side Sisters
- Kim is an Ambassador for a new class of drugs for women with Metastatic ?Breast Cancer, and she loves Zumba and Combat class.
Top Crew Fundraiser:
Kathleen Butler
- $5,555 raised; $70,657 lifetime raised; 11 years; 13th event; Team – Team Girlapalooza (Captain)
- Kathleen has a “very weird attachment to Diet Dr. Pepper, Bruce Springsteen & blue Bic pens (pretty much in that order).”
Top Fundraising Team:
Powered By Optimism; $261,187 raised; 7 years as team; $1,452,854 lifetime raised; Team Captain – Amy Benoit (Chuck Pollock & Martin Heflin are co-Captains); 116 members
- Team Girlapalooza has raised more than $1 Million since they started walking in 2008. (DC-based team with 23 members in SD)
- Angels for the Cure has raised more than $1 Million since they started walking in 2008. (TX-based team 20 members in SD)
- Hines Pink Pathers have raised more than $1 Million since they started walking in 2007. (MI-based team with 2 members in SD)
- The Cup Crusaders have raised more than $1.2 Million since they started walking in 2005. (New England-based team with 15 members in SD)
- Pink Soles In Motion has raised more than $1.4 Million since they started walking in 2006. (TX-based team with 12 members in SD)
- Powered By Optimism has raised more than $1.4 Million since they started walking in 2010. (local SD team with 116 members)
- The Pink Angels have raised more than $1.9 Million since they started walking in 2005. (New England-based team with 6 members in SD)
- Valley Girls & Guys! has raised more than $2.4 Million since they started walking in 2009. (WA-based team with 31 members in SD)
- Kindred Spirits has raised more than $2.6 Million since they started walking in 2004. (WA-based team with 27 members in SD)
Top 2 Largest Teams:
- Hands Up For Hooters; 120 members; 2 years as team; Team Captain – Sally Dunbar
- Sally & her teammates recruited 90 new walkers to their team this year, almost doubling the size of their team from 2015!
- Powered By Optimism; 116 members; 7 years as team; Team Captain – Amy Benoit (Chuck Pollock & Martin Heflin are co-captains)
Milestone Award:
Kathy Giller; 11 years; 18 events; $341,073 lifetime raised; Team – Breast Man Walking (Captain)
Kathy’s best friend Nancy accepting the award on her behalf.
Kathy’s husband Lee was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. A recurrence in late 2012 has left him battling Stage four since then. Due to Lee’s declining healthy, Kathy & Lee were unable to travel to San Diego this weekend as they had hoped. Shown above is Kathy’s best friend, Nancy.
Kathy takes any and all opportunities to share Lee’s story and advocate for ALL men with breast cancer and for screenings. Kathy also fights for her children. Of her three children, her son Jay is BRCA positive and her daughter Pam is a breast cancer survivor.“I had the pleasure of meeting Kathy & Lee over 10 years ago when they came to San Diego for one of their first 3-Days. They are both the sort of people that you meet in life and instantly connect with. Kathy is amazing and incredibly dedicated to bringing awareness to male breast cancer and she is Lee’s biggest cheerleader. My world is a better place because of Kathy & Lee Giller.” – Jennifer H., 3-Day Coach & walker. Here’s what Kathy’s best friend Nancy had to say about Kathy:
“Where do I start about Kathy? She is amazing! My best friend. I think over the years I have spent more time with Kathy than my husband! We do all of our training and walking throughout the year together. We have counseled each other through issues with children, spouses, parents, politics, —the good the bad and the ugly of life!! She is compassionate, a great listener, giving beyond words!
As far as Komen and the 3-Day, she is unstoppable. Being a co-survivor for both her husband and daughter Pam has been a labor of love. She will do ANYTHING for them, and does. She is passionate about her fund raising (as is fairly obvious), because she WANTS A CURE! She has come to realize that a cure will not be in the picture for her Lee, but hopefully for Pam and all other men and women with breast cancer. These two people are the most amazing people I know, and our dearest friends.” – Nancy S, best friend & teammate
Local Impact Award:
Cliff Meyers; 12 years; 12th event; $42,122 lifetime raised; Team – Cliff’s Crew (Captain)
On training walks, he and his team look for loose change on the walk. They collect it throughout the year and make one donation to whichever walker needs it. They call it “pennies from heaven”. He believes that those we have lost leave little “reminders” that they are still with us on the journey. Here’s what Kim Collings, San Diego 3-Day Coach and Walker had to say about him: “He has recruited dozens of new walkers over the years including 7 just this year. You don’t have to be on his team to feel his passion for the 3-Day. In fact, many people from several teams walk with him year after year because they get the support and encouragement they need. He has been a passionate volunteer in meetings to help new walkers get started and to help build the 3-Day. It isn’t often you will catch him without SOMETHING 3-Day on, whether it’s a 3-Day hat, a 3-Day t-shirt, his pink walking shoes or all of the above. He will take any and every opportunity to spread the word about the 3-Day throughout his community.” Here’s what members of Cliff’s team had to say about him: “He is such an outstanding leader because he has so many amazing qualities. When we think of him these are the qualities that we think of:
- Motivate- he knows how to motivate anyone no matter what they want to achieve
- Delegate-he knows when to delegate and he knows how to pick the right people
- Communication-he is one of the best communicator
- Commitment-when he makes up his mind, he commits 100% to whatever he set out to do
- Positive attitude-he definitely has a can-do attitude
- Approach- very easy to approach
- Inspire-he has inspired so many of us over the years
Without his leadership, our team would not have existed. We owe so much to him and all he has done for this team.”
The helpline team serves as a lifeline for those who are feeling overwhelmed with fears or concerns about breast cancer.
The trained helpline team assists those who call or email by providing education about breast cancer, helping to locate low-cost local mammography services, coaching how to communicate with their doctors and loved ones and reassuring callers that they are not alone.
The helpline staff stays directly connected to Komen by participating in the Greater NYC Race for the Cure, attending educational workshops and webinars, receiving internal newsletters from the organization and staying up-to-date on breast cancer materials.