Donna Lawson: Compassion, Community, Commitment

Donna Lawson was recognized on the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day with the Milestone Award for her efforts in finding a cure for breast cancer

Donna Lawson was recognized on the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day with the Milestone Award for her efforts in the fight to end breast cancer

When asked what was the secret to her fundraising success, this year’s Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day Milestone Award winner Donna Lawson simply replied: “I am blessed with thoughtful and generous people in my life who have continued to support me year after year . . . Some start asking if I am [participating in the 3-Day] again at the beginning of the year so they can plan for a donation later. I send letters through the old-fashioned US Postal Service with a self-addressed envelope and a donation form. My letter provides an update on the last walk, a ‘thank you’ to those who have donated previously, facts about breast cancer, and Susan G. Komen^® efforts. I always send a hand-written thank you note to each person who donated, no matter what the amount.”

Donna’s humble and personal approach reflects her personality and is likely a driving factor in both her motivation for fighting breast cancer and her substantial fundraising ability. Her efforts, along with her children and teams, have topped $100,000 over 12 Komen 3-Day events! “I am a breast cancer survivor, and I knew a few people who had done the walk previously,” recounts Donna. “After the first 3-Day our family was addicted to the feelings during our first experience and wanted to continue that as long as we could.”

Donna Lawson waits backstage in preparation for the Opening Ceremony at the Chicago 3-Day

Seasoned as she is in the 3-Day^® and in fundraising, Donna encourages new walkers to “absorb and enjoy” the feeling of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, to meet people and hear their stories and of course, to keep dry socks in plastic bags. She reiterates, “If you are not moved by the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, I would be shocked!” What does the Chicago 3-Day mean to Donna Lawson? “Compassion. Community. Commitment.”

Congratulations to the 2013 Chicago 3-Day Milestone Award winner Donna Lawson!

Keeping it in the Family

One family. Three Crew Members. One Youth Corps. Two Pit Stops. Chicago time.

For the Carrillo family, the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day is a family affair. If you happen to be walking the 60-mile journey through the greater Chicago area today to help find the cure for breast cancer, you’ll certainly stop through Pit Stop 4, which is led by Saralyn Carrillo and helped by husband Julio Carrillo. Saralyn is a two-time survivor of breast cancer. By the way, Pit Stop 3 is led by her daughter Alex. Oh, and did I mention that her son Andrew is the top fundraiser for Youth Corps on this event (raising over $2000)? What a family!

Saralyn Carrillo stands on stage at the Opening Ceremony of Chicago's 2013 Susan G. Komen 3-Day®

Saralyn Carrillo is surrounded by her family at the Opening Ceremony of the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day (left to right: Julio, Alex, Saralyn, Andrew)

“I felt like I should pay back the system,” says Saralyn. “I had a mammogram on September 11, 2001, which had a tiny lesion, and my doctor told me to followup in a year. When I did, there were dozens of lesions. After a biopsy showed that they were positive for cancer, I elected to have a double mastectomy.” Saralyn started walking the Komen 3-Day in 2005 as appreciation for all of the information she had gleaned from the Susan G. Komen^® website and for the general cause to find a cure. This is her 7th year walking the 3-Day^®. Saralyn had a second bout with breast cancer only this year; she noticed a lump above the area of reconstruction and underwent an additional surgery, fortunately, having clean margins. Amazingly, she is a crew captain this week even though she is two weeks into a six-week course of chemotherapy. Even after all this, she remains upbeat and positive for the future!

Saralyn Carrillo joins hands with other breast cancer survivors at the Opening Ceremony of the Chicago 3-Day

Julio is helping the Pit Stop 4 crew this weekend, and to the surprise of his wife yesterday, was also a flag bearer in the Opening Ceremony, proudly representing husbands everywhere with a flag marked “My Wife” this morning before the large crowd. After supporting his wife through her ordeals, he urges other husbands to get educated: “Have your wife get a mammogram and find out all you can about breast cancer. I was scared to death; ignorance is fear. We have peace of mind now.”

Go Carrillo Family!

Celebrating the 3-Day Youth Corps

We celebrated a special milestone in Boston this year. Our 3-Day Youth Corps marked its tenth year with yet another extraordinary group of selfless and kind young people who supported our walkers and crew members. In 2013, our Youth Corps members will be bringing their special spirit and energy to every 3-Day across the country!

Robin Maxcy was one of the founders of the Boston 3-Day Youth Corps. Robin was a 3-Day coach for the very first Boston 3-Day, and led the Youth Corps program for six years. She has kept in touch with some of her Youth Corps members of the years, and in 2011, she organized the first ever Boston Youth Corps alumni cheering station!

Robin was inspired to create the Youth Corps program after her first experience on the 3-Day, seeing how meaningful it was for the walkers, crew and volunteers. “I wanted to bottle it all up and offer everyone a dose of 3-Day experience. It’s life-changing! I met an incredible 3-Day family that year. They included their daughter, Jessica, in some of the 3-Day experience, it was apparent to her dad and me that we needed a place for young people on the 3-Day. So the Youth Corps was born. Over the last ten years the members of the 3-Day community have all worked together to make the Youth Corps Team what it is today.”