Ways to Support Your 3-Dayer on Event

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Our first 3-Day of 2017 is just a few weeks away and that means 3-Dayers across the country have been ramping up their fundraising and training for their last big push. They can’t do it alone though!

If you are local in any of our event cities, please come out and cheer for your 3-Day walkers and teams along the event route! Our “Walker Stalkers,” or 3-Day supporters mean everything to our whole 3-Day family! Stand along the sidewalk, outside your home or even favorite restaurant, and let the walkers know how much their steps mean to you. You can also join some of our favorite, and famous, cheering stations along the route.

Camp Mail

If you aren’t able to be physically present for the event, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to show your love. For example, you can still send your 3-Dayer words of support and encouragement with snail mail sent directly to their tent on event.

In a world of texts and emails, a letter, card or note is a personal and emotional way to connect with your 3-Dayer while they walk those 60 miles.

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Does your 3-Dayer have a sweet tooth? You can now also send Sweet Treats to your favorite 3-Dayers walking in Michigan!

If you have a walker in our other 3-Day event cities, you will be able to send them Sweet Treats starting on the following dates:

It will be the perfect dessert to end each of their long days of walking.

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Last but not least, you can send them social media love! We will be sharing live videos, photos, interviews, announcements and more throughout every one of the 3-Days so show your love with likes, comments and more!

Keep an eye out for Facebook Live videos, as well as photos on our Instagram and updates from our Twitter feed. You might see the familiar face of your favorite 3-Dayer!

How do you support your 3-Dayers? Tell us in the comments!

From Sidewalks to Science: An On-Route Look at Komen’s Research with Dr. Valerie M. Jansen

Opening Ceremonies

Dr. Jansen, can you tell us a bit about what led you to do breast cancer research?

My mother-in-law, with whom I was very close, was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer on the same day as my first medical school interview. Unfortunately, she passed away four years after her diagnosis and is not here to witness me doing this important work. I did not set out to be a medical oncologist and a breast cancer researcher; however, I cannot imagine doing anything different! I do this in memory of my mother-in-law and in honor of my patients touched by breast cancer.

On The Route

Since we’ve got some time, could you tell us a bit about your current research?

 I study breast cancers that depend on estrogen for growth, which is the most common subtype of breast cancer. There are great options out there for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors, and patients often respond well to treatment (for metastatic ER+ breast cancer, that would be a combination of a CDK4/6 inhibitor and an antiestrogen therapy). However, after an initial response to treatment, most ER+ tumors develop resistance and start growing again. In the laboratory, I am studying how and why these cancers do that and to identify new treatment strategies to overcome resistance. My Komen grant is focused on the role of a protein (PDK1) which could lead the way to new combination treatment strategies for women with metastatic ER-positive cancers.

At Camp

Now that we’ve made it “home” for the night and are enjoying the support of our crew, can you tell us about how your work would be affected without Komen funding?

 Komen funding is absolutely indispensable for my research and vital to my career aspiration to become an independently funded physician-scientist. Without Komen funding, I would not be able to perform cutting-edge research to improve the lives of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Furthermore, funding provides the foundation and results needed for future grants, enabling me to continue to grow as a physician-scientist with a robust translational/clinical breast cancer research program, and even more importantly – to continue to do work that could help save lives.

Day 2

What would you say to somebody who’s just been diagnosed with breast cancer?

While we may not be able to cure metastatic breast cancer, we can certainly treat it with the goal of living as long as possible with a good quality of life. There is also hope for new and better treatment options based on research like mine.

Cheering Station

Look at all of these enthusiastic supporters out along the route! What would your advice be to those who want to help make a difference in the fight against breast cancer?

 People can make a difference by supporting programs like Komen, which in turn support early-career investigators (like me) and critical research aimed at reducing the number of deaths from breast cancer. I think it’s also important for each of us to be an advocate for our own health and to be educated about the advances being made in breast cancer research.

Pit Stop 

Three things to know about Dr. Jansen:

  • Growing up in Nashville and passing by the Vanderbilt Medical Center as a young girl, my goal was to become a Vanderbilt doctor and help people. I am living that dream and more as a breast cancer doctor and breast cancer scientist at Vanderbilt. This is my Passion, Purpose and Focus.
  • I was born in Laos and immigrated to the U.S. at six-years-old. My Laotian first name is Phoukhaokham which means mountain full of gold. I did not speak one word of English and now I speak English with a Southern accent! I am the first physician and scientist in my family – hopefully not the last, but my 12-year-old daughter researched pastry chef for her career project for school!
  • Aside from the support from Komen, I would not be able to do what I do without the unwavering support of my family. They have made and continue to make sacrifices every day so that I can be in the lab late at night and on weekends. When I asked my daughter if she would change anything about me, including having me at home more, she replied, “No because I know when you’re not home, you are helping people.” It takes a village.

Mile 59

The finish line is in sight! Can you tell us about a defining moment for you when you realized the impact your work has in the fight against breast cancer?

I am still very early in my career as a physician-scientist, but a defining moment where I realized that my research has the potential to affect hundreds – and even thousands – of patients was when I presented a clinical trial concept stemming from my preclinical studies. In the clinic, I impact one patient at a time, but with my research I have the potential to make a huge impact that may improve on the lives of patients.

Closing Ceremonies

Thanks for walking us through your research, Dr. Jansen! Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our walkers, crew and supporters?

 Komen has been instrumental in their investment of me as an early-career breast cancer researcher. My research findings will hopefully translate into clinical trials and ultimately a new treatment option for patients with metastatic ER+ breast cancer, none of which may be possible without the support from Komen.

Dr. Valerie Jansen is an oncologist and researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Since 1982, Susan G. Komen has funded $920 million in breast cancer research, second only to the U.S. government and more than any other nonprofit in the world. Learn more here.

Grab and Go 

Here are two ways you can use this information to help reach your 3-Day fundraising or recruiting goals:

Send a Tweet

Meet Dr. Jansen, @SusanGKomen @VanderbiltU researcher and scholar helping to change the treatment of #breastcancer. http://bit.ly/2tv21LG

Post on Facebook:

Join Dr. Valerie Jansen, a Vanderbilt doctor and Susan G. Komen researcher as she studies estrogen-dependent breast cancers. Her work is changing the foundation of breast cancer research; click the link to read more and find out why your fundraising dollars are so important in the fight against breast cancer. http://bit.ly/2tv21LG

 

3-Day July Fundraising Calendar

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July marks the one month countdown to our first 3-Days of 2017! That means it is the final weeks of fundraising for many of our 3-Dayers, and we have fun ideas you won’t want to miss.

There are lots of fun events and training workshops happening in July, and with the Michigan, Twin Cities and Philadelphia 3-Days coming up in August, it’s the perfect time to kick your fundraising and training into high gear.

July Fundraising Calendar II

June is National Picnic Month and Anti-Boredom Month, among others, and there are plenty of fun ways to use those holidays to your advantage:

  • In honor of Anti-Boredom Month, change up your fundraising efforts with a new project, updated letter format, or a fun new event! We have tons of fundraising ideas on our Pinterest page and website so you’ll never run out of inspiration.
  • You can also stave off boredom by taking longer training walks, fueled by our Spotify playlists!
  • In addition to being National Picnic Month, it’s also National Blueberry, Hot Dog and Ice Cream Months! Talk about delicious! Use this inspiration to host a backyard picnic with offerings like a Hot Dog Bar or Ice Cream Sundae Bar with lots of creative and tasty toppings. Ask for donations from friends, family and neighbors to attend, and you’ll be surprised how quickly your fundraising grows.

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There are plenty of Walk & Talks, Get Trained Workshops and Training Kick-Offs happening this month. Some of these events are highlighted in the calendar above, but you can find the complete list on our website here. We will also be calling out more local events on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out.

In addition, make sure to follow the Facebook pages of your local coaches! They are great resources for fundraising ideas, training tips, and will also be promoting the events in their cities.

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Other key days this month include:

  • July 7: Chocolate Day: Celebrate Chocolate Day by reminding potential donors that it would be really “sweet” of them to help you in your fight against breast cancer with a donation to the 3-Day. You can also tell your donors to keep an eye out for dates to send you a Sweet Treat on the 3-Day! In the month of July, supporters will be able to send their 3-Dayers sweet treats to the Michigan 3-Day starting on July 10th. Twin Cities Sweet Treats can be sent starting on July 20th, and Philadelphia’s Sweet Treats can be sent starting on July 27th.
  • July 21: Junk Food Day: Head to a dollar store or bulk buy retailer and stock up on lots of fun junk food! Then offer to deliver “snack packs” to people who donate a certain amount to your cause! You will see your fundraising numbers rise, and your donors will receive a tasty meal in return.
  • July 26: All or Nothing Day: We are all in to support you on your 3-Day cause! Schedule longer training walk on All or Nothing Day, then have friends and family sponsor your steps. It’s a great way to combine training and fundraising!
  • July 31: International Day of Friendship: Fundraise with a friend on this holiday! It will make your efforts more fun, and twice as profitable! Go canning together, ask for donations in each of your neighborhoods, or just block out time to write and send donor letters together.

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Also, make sure to join our 3-Day Social Stars! This is an easy-to-join group that’s part of our social media community, where you can earn prizes for interacting with the 3-Day on social media. Talk, connect, and share with us!

What 3-Days are you walking in this year, and what are your fundraising and training goals for July?