The 3-Day headed south for our first 3-Day of November, and was welcomed to Dallas Fort Worth with open arms! We started our Friday morning in the home of Susan G. Komen, with a nice cool sunrise over Collin Creek Mall in Plano. Our 600 walkers and 275 crew started their journey with an inspiring and emotional Opening Ceremony led by local participants.

Then, they were off and walking! The day began with an amazing cheer station after Pit Stop 1, led by Aldridge Elementary School. Almost every student and much of the faculty was out to cheer on our walkers as they completed their first two miles of the day.
From there, they walked through Cottonwood Park to come to lunch after a quick 10.3 miles. The walkers relaxed with a fun carnival theme, and stretched on their Mohawk Flooring mats before getting ready to hit the trails again.

The second half of Day One was spent walking through Anderson Bonner, Churchill and Jamestown Parks so there was plenty of beautiful greenery and fun nature photo opps for our Texas walkers. There was also lots of fun at the Susan G. Komen cheering station, complete with popsicles and even a puppy cheerleader or two. The Komen headquarters team was out in full force to show our walkers just how loved they are!

Day One ended at camp at Brookhaven College after 20.5 miles. A beautiful sunset welcomed our walkers home, and they were able to relax in the Bank of America massage chairs, as well as get in a game or two of put put golf.

Day Two dawned warm and bright for a beautiful day of walking! The walkers cruised through their first six miles with ease, arriving at Pit Two-ville with smiles on their faces as they were greeted by cats in hats, red fishes, blue fishes and even a Lorax! It was a rhyme and photo-filled good time for all.

By lunch at Campbell Green Park, the walkers had already conquered 10.4 miles on the day. At lunch, we met our amazing Dallas Fort Worth Youth Corps members, and were cheered (or woof-ed) on by four-legged 3-Day fans from the training program of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Walkers loved stopping for a photo with these furry 3-Day supporters!

From there, our walkers spent time under the beautiful Texas sun as they trekked through Kiowa Park, and past Pit Stop 4 at Mile 18.3 on the day. Before arriving back at camp, there were cheer stations at the gorgeous Vitruvian Park and Team Komen was on hand to welcome everyone back onto the Brookhaven College campus with another big cheering station.

Once all our walkers were home in the pink bubble at camp, we dug into mac n’ cheese to make sure we all had energy for the all-camp dance party!

Sunday was a perfect day for walking, and our participants hit Pit One, and 3.6 miles, in no time in Preston Hollow Park. They were greeted by local supporters, and a knock-out pit crew!

From there, it was just a hop, skip and a few-mile jump to lunch at Reverchon Park. The walkers were less than four miles from the finish line as they relaxed in the shade and stretched it out with our amazing medical team.

After leaving lunch, walkers made their way through downtown Dallas, passing the House of Blues, walking through the historic West End, and even stepping through John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza before they completed their 60-Mile journey at Reunion Tower.

After all of our walkers crossed our beautiful pink finish line, we celebrated together at Closing Ceremony. There was much to be proud of, given that our amazing 600 walkers and 275 crew members raised $1.7 million this weekend!

Our journey is never truly done, though, as was evidenced throughout our closing ceremony. We are all still working, and walking, towards Susan G. Komen’s Bold Goal to reduce the nation’s 40,000 breast cancer deaths by 50 percent by 2026.

As we hugged and celebrated and danced together, one message rang loud and clear; that though our feet may ache, our spirit and dedication will live forever; through aches, and pain, and blisters. We are shouting loudly and proudly that in this fight, where we seek to live in a world free of breast cancer, WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP. Thank you, Dallas Fort Worth. We are so very proud of each and every one of you.

If you’re ready to be a part of this incredible journey again in 2018, sign up now at The3Day.org/Register.