2018 Atlanta 3-Day Route Preview

22552705_10159496632690392_7059077281426693510_n

We’re taking the 3-Day down South and heading to Atlanta this week! Our whole team is excited to welcome all our participants and know it will be a great three days (or four days for our amazing Crew!). Before we start our 60-mile journey, Event Manager Melanie Toner is giving us a sneak peek at the route, which will feature some fun new changes in 2018.

The Opening Ceremony will once again be at Stone Mountain Park, which is a picturesque and iconic location to start our weekend. We will start along a paved walking path through the park and continue to utilize path trails as we walk through the smaller towns of Clarkston and Avondale Estates. Melanie is hoping this will provide pretty views as well as being easier on our walkers’ feet and legs as they kick off the 3-Day.

22490192_10159496635375392_2417153035507073789_n

While there is abundant shade, there are also some hills, so remember to stretch and hydrate whenever you can. In the afternoon, we’ll continue into downtown Decatur and the hilly, scenic neighborhoods of North Decatur, Emory Village, Virginia Highland. In Emory Village, walkers will pass by Emory University, as well as the Winship Cancer Institute. Keep an eye out for local cheering supporters there!

We’ll finish our day by taking to the urban sidewalks of downtown Atlanta, traveling through the Historic Fourth Ward Park and then will weave through the city to camp at the Georgia World Congress Center. We will have a celebratory night full of dancing, fun, and cozy indoor camping after Day One ends. Melanie is excited to be there to welcome all our walkers home at the end of a great day!

The Day Two route continues to provide us with plenty of shade as we walk northeast towards Buckhead and Piedmont Heights. Then the route will level off slightly through the neighborhoods surrounding Buckhead and go to Granite Properties – the home of the Atlanta Komen Affiliate for a route stop with them!

22310601_10159496652200392_110338146191923184_n

After leaving Granite Properties, we will begin to walk west through Tuxedo Park and Castle Wood, making our way through the Woodfield and Springlake neighborhoods. Trinity Presby Church will serve as a lunch stop and the point where we walk south towards the Georgia World Congress Center.

Atlanta’s Northside Beltline Trail will surely be an afternoon highlight with its old-fashioned train trestle. Melanie encourages walkers to take time to really soak in the experience of that trail.

As we make our way back into the city via Peachtree Street, we are once again walking in urban Midtown before returning to downtown’s Georgia World Congress Center.

22528522_10159496676620392_3887890546802012502_n

Day Three is a favorite of Melanie’s and she can’t wait to hear feedback on the new route!

“We heard feedback from our post-event surveys from last year and we created a whole new Day Three for you with a new Closing Ceremony site! And we think people will be really excited about it!”

The Day Three route heads east through downtown Atlanta, past Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, his tomb and birth home. Melanie is very glad to be including these highlights again this year.

“We didn’t walk by this area last year, and we wanted to make sure to bring this back. We’re delighted that the new route allows us to walk by these important historic landmarks.”

22527976_10159496641595392_3805664713635855309_n

Trails then take us through Freedom Park before stopping for lunch in Druid Hills. From there, we head north through Virginia-Highland and then west through the gorgeous neighborhoods of Ansley Park before completing the final steady climb along Peachtree Road. It will be celebratory last hill to end the 3-Day on a (literal) high note.

The route on Day Three also goes past two of Atlanta’s Tiny Doors, a public art installation bringing “big wonder to tiny spaces.”

“Definitely keep an eye out so you don’t miss them!” Melanie says. “It’s so fun and a little bit of Atlanta culture that’s going on right now.”

22499292_10159496635430392_4389526703663763570_o

The Closing Ceremony this year will be taking place at the Atlanta International School, which is a fun new location to celebrate the end of an amazing weekend.

Melanie says, “We call can’t wait for participants to see the new Closing Ceremony location and I think it will be just the update everyone is looking for. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner in the school. We just can’t wait for everyone to get here!”

We’re counting down the days, Atlanta! Let’s do this!

Sidewalks to Science: Getting to Know Dr. Paula D. Bos, Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

With lab colleagues at VCU

Dedicating her life to finding a cure for breast cancer, Dr. Paula D. Bos is driven to help Komen meet our Bold Goal of reducing the current number of breast cancer deaths in the U.S. by 50% by 2026. As an Assistant Professor of Pathology, she and members of her lab are dedicated to developing new treatment options for breast cancer patients with metastatic brain tumors.

In this month’s Sidewalks to Science blog, we will get to know Dr. Bos a little better.

When I’m not in the lab I…

  • Enjoy the outdoors with my daughter and husband.
  • Love reading and baking with my daughter.
  • Am an enthusiastic follower of my daughter’s soccer team. As a native Argentinian, I am very passionate about soccer.

Family Picture at the beach

 What I do…targeting immune cells to treat brain metastases.

Although metastatic breast cancer has spread to another part of the body, it’s still considered and treated as breast cancer. Breast cancer that has spread to the brain is treated with breast cancer drugs, rather than treatments for a cancer that began in the brain. However, treatments that work for the primary breast tumor are often ineffective at treating the metastatic brain tumor. Current treatment strategies for brain metastasis, which include surgery and radiation, only offer some improvements for most patients. Therefore, I want to improve the options available to breast cancer patients that have developed brain metastases.

I am investigating how a type of immune cell called a regulatory T (Treg) cell helps breast cancer cells that have spread to the brain grow and survive. Tregs can be found in primary and metastatic breast tumors and correlate with poor patient prognosis. A normal function for Tregs is controlling immune responses, and researchers have shown these cells have the ability to suppress the immune system response against cancer. With my Komen funding, I’m studying how Treg cells support brain metastases. I’m trying to develop a treatment strategy to disrupt the support of breast cancer cells that have metastasized to the brain that could be used in patients.

Breast cancer…touches the lives of so many.

My aunt is a 12-year breast cancer survivor, and other types of cancers have taken dear family members and friends.

Working with patients…motivates my research strategy.

Through my research, I have met and come to admire an incredible group of advocates. Their strength and tireless efforts to bring awareness and increase funding for breast cancer research are a constant incentive to intensify our research efforts.

Dr. Paula Bos

People with breast cancer should…participate in clinical trials!

With new technologies available, science is progressing at a fast pace. We have seen major improvements in the treatment of cancer, especially with the immune system checkpoint blocking antibodies. Breast cancer has yet seen the benefit seen by other cancers, but several approaches are at the clinical trial stage.

Komen is…about patient advocacy!

I have always been motivated to do research to answer pressing clinical needs, but since I started working with patient advocates a few years ago, I now have a better understanding of where the priorities are. Involving advocates allows us to know we are on the right track to discover something of value to the patient community.

“Research is a challenging, expensive, and time-consuming activity. Knowing that patient advocates agree with the goals of our research is reassuring that we are on the right track to discover something of value.”

You can support Dr. Bos and her research by donating directly to her grant here.

If you or a loved one needs information or resources about clinical trials, call our Clinical Trial Information Helpline at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877- 465- 6636) or email clinicaltrialinfo@komen.org.

The helpline offers breast cancer clinical trial education and support, such as:

  • Knowing when to consider a trial
  • How to find a trial
  • How to decide which trial is best
  • What to expect during a trial
  • Information about clinical trial resources

Congratulations to the 2018 Philadelphia 3-Day Milestone Award Winner, Ron MacDonald

IMG_0024

Please join us in congratulating our 2018 Philadelphia Milestone Award Winner; Ron MacDonald! 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 Philadelphia 3-Day camp show, we presented Ron with this special honor.

To his family and friends, Ron is the consummate 3-Dayer, filled with love, compassionate and dedication.

His daughter Darcie said, “When I talked my Dad into walking the 3-Day 9 years ago, I had no idea what his journey would look like. Nine walks later, 540 miles (not counting training), thousands of dollars raised, a tattoo on his arm with our team logo saying “NO More Goodbyes.” I can honestly say finding a cure for breast cancer has become a part of who my Dad is. Even now that he is battling his own cancer his determination to walk with all of you is even stronger. My Dad is a hero who’s love and passion to make a difference is contagious. My Dad walks to END breast cancer. He walks for all of you!”

DoQyZkaXcAAfQVR

His grandchild Riley echoed that sense of family pride and love.

“I could not be any prouder of my Grandfather for being the recipient of this award.  My Grampy has dedicated so much of his time to help the fight against breast cancer.  He supports his teammates who have all become his best friends or as he likes to call them his “girlfriends”.  Even in spite of his own discovery of cancer it has never stopped motivating him to fight and help those who can’t.  After all his treatments this year all he could talk about is his excitement to walk with his team.  My Grampy has never let anything stop him from fulfilling his goal of making a difference and walking 60 miles.  My Grampy is a superhero.  I am so lucky and honored to walk 60 miles by his side.”

42933534_10161044179120392_6823071495527333888_o

Teammate Suzanne Higgins described what it’s like walking alongside Ron as one full of kindness and laughter. He is “the rock” of their team, and she is proud to call him her friend.

 “Ron is the beating male heart of our team. Literally, he’s the only man and he treats us and cares for us as though we were his own daughters.

Ron embodies “Milestone” – he literally puts down his head and pounds out the 60 “miles” like nobody’s business *and* he is the “stone/rock” of our team! […]

Above all, Ron has the biggest, most generous heart. He is fully committed to our team, No More Goodbyes…his pink daughters. And, we love him as the father of our team…our beloved 3-Day Dad.

Teammate Janet Daley said Ron is “a true team player! Whenever any one of us was low on funds he would share his donations with the team.  He never wanted his girls to not be able to walk with him.”

42922938_10161044207790392_8897230370928328704_o

Kristina Libby talked about his speed as well as his generosity, and says upon meeting him 9 years go, she was instantly shocked to witness a gentle giant walk so fast.”

Another one of his teammates, Deb Margolis seconded that sentiment, promising that Ron will almost always be at the front of the line. But she says he also never complains. You will “see him with a big smile on his face and hear him by his loud laugh.”

Kristina probably summed him up best when she said, “Ron is a dad, granddad, husband and a fantastic teammate. Everything he does he does with passion. He is determined to find a cure for cancer. For himself, for me, and for all the other men and women who have fought this battle. Ron means the world to me because we mean the world to Ron.”

After all of these amazing expressions of support, we then had to hear from Ron in his own words!

42962861_10161044255475392_5266949001021751296_o

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

My daughter! She walked and wanted me to walk with her. Unfortunately, I was extremely overweight bracket (350 lbs) and couldn’t do it. She inspired me to lose weight – 175 pounds!  That provided me with the inspiration to do the walk.

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

Mainly the team of girls, No More Goodbyes! They have instilled in me how important the cause is and also the bonding I’ve developed with the team over the past nine years

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

A strong sincere letter/email explaining what the 3-Day is what the donations are used for. Our team has raised approximately $500,000 over the past years 10 years.

I also remind potential donors that I am a CPA and that all the money that they contribute to the 3-Day is fully deductible.

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

Have fun, remember to enjoy the experience, pray for no rain and few hills.

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

In spite of the blisters and aching muscles one endures during the walk,  it pales in comparison to what those effected with breast cancer experience.