2015 Atlanta 3-Day Wrap-up

The Susan G. Komen Atlanta 3-Day has finished for another year, and we could not be more thankful for this amazing community and the memorable weekend we shared.

We gathered in the pre-dawn hours on Friday morning at Stone Mountain Park, a breathtaking backdrop as the sun rose just in time for us to begin the 3-Day journey. The incomparable Dr. Sheri was joined on stage by Chrissy Mathews from Susan G. Komen®, as well as Tara, our local events coach in Atlanta, for a moving Opening Ceremony.

Walkers set out onto the route, weaving the first few miles through the beautiful park. After a quick break at the pit stop 1, walkers exited the park and hit the streets and a cheering station in Old Historic Stone Mountain Village. From there, walkers looped through the communities west of Atlanta, making their way toward the city. They passed through the quaint downtown Decatur area, where they were greeted with another cheering station and pit stop 2. A longer break greeted the walkers at lunch, which was one big pajama party, and from there, the route passed through the eclectic neighborhood of Little Five Points. Crew teams at pit stops 3 and 4 kept walkers pumped up and fueled up in the afternoon. As they headed into the downtown Atlanta area, walkers passed by Centennial Olympic Park, built for visitors and spectators of the 1996 Olympic Summer Games. Soon, they had arrived at camp at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Friday night’s camp show, hosted by Dr. Sheri and Chrissy, was emotional. We heard from the Greater Atlanta Affiliate of Susan G. Komen, who told us about the ways that the 3-Day helps fund programs in Atlanta. This was followed by moving speeches from Julie H., who talked about the realities of living with Stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer, and Karen, speaking on behalf of her friend and teammate Rachel who passed away from breast cancer about a month ago. We also recognized Atlanta’s top training walk leader and the Atlanta 3-Day Milestone Award winner.

On Day 2, walkers set out from camp and headed north for the day. Much of Day 2 was spent in the community of Buckhead, where walkers enjoyed the New Balance cheerleaders at a lovely tree-lined pit stop. Yes, there were hills a-plenty on Saturday, but the beautiful scenery and dazzling homes (including the Governor’s mansion) gave the walkers plenty to look at as they climbed. Numerous cheer stations along the way kept weary walkers motivated; a favorite was a grassy stop just before lunch with some lovable pooches who came out to support the walkers. The lunch stop was at the Greater Atlanta Komen Affiliate headquarters, complete with a pink-dyed fountain, and dozens of Komen Atlanta’s people came out to cheer the walkers in. As they headed back toward camp, walkers passed by some of downtown Atlanta’s most popular tourist spots, including the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola.

The camp show on Saturday night was a flurry of awards, as we recognized Atlanta’s top fundraisers and Local Impact Award winners. We heard a touching, and at times funny speech from Gerald, a 10-time walker who shared his story of being a co-survivor to his first two wives, both of whom passed from breast cancer. The Saturday camp show was topped off with some heart-touching messages from the Atlanta Youth Corps, who were the perfect inspirations to kick off the always popular Saturday dance party.

The amount of get-up-and-go at the start of Day 3 was incredible, especially from walkers who had already covered over 40 miles of their journey. The route started out with a stroll and a pit stop on the beautiful Georgia Tech campus, and from there, walkers headed into Piedmont Park, one of Atlanta’s loveliest parks. The lunch stop was rocking once again, as walkers relaxed on the cool sunny day and crew members treated tehm to a non-stop dance-a-thon. A highlight of the afternoon was a walk past the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site before turning towards Turner Field, the site of our Atlanta 3-Day Closing Ceremony.

Walkers crossed the finish line at Turner Field, where hundreds of friends and family members waited to welcome them (and one special guy proposed to his gal as she crossed under the arch!). The unbelievable energy that Atlanta walkers and crew members showed all weekend long seemed to be turned up even more at the Closing Ceremony, where Dr. Sheri, Chrissy and Tara congratulated this amazing Atlanta family on their extraordinary journey. We thanked our marvelous supporters, sponsors and local jurisdictions who helped us along our 60-mile journey, and the whole place erupted with joy when Chrissy shared that a remarkable $2.2 million was raised by Atlanta’s 800 walkers and 275 crew members. The Atlanta 3-Day family danced it out one final time, and as the final flag of the 3-Day was raised, we remembered and repeated the promise we made way back on Friday morning: to never give up our fight until we have ended breast cancer forever.

Want to see a sneak peek of photos from the Atlanta 3-Day? Click here, and don’t forget to watch Facebook later this week for a full album you can download, tag, and share!

Scenes From a 3-Day Lunch Stop

Today was Day 1 of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in Atlanta, and I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours near the entrance of the lunch spot, welcoming walkers in. The sun was shining, music was playing, and with my camera, I took in the sights.

The Day 1 lunch stop was one big pajama party! Their tagline: We’re dreaming of a cure. Awesome!

Early on, the walkers at the front of the pack trickled in a few at a time… …but pretty much everyone entered with the enthusiasm of people who had just conquered over 12 miles of Day 1.

Some were eager to document what they were seeing as they entered the lunch stop.

Perhaps they were impressed with these pajama-clad jammers, who danced a welcoming jig for every walker who came in. We’re talking hours of dancing, hugs and photos.

Some walkers danced their way in too… …and were rewarded with the warmest welcomes from the lunch medical crew. Some families came out to reunite with their loved ones who were walking. This adorable little peanut and her baby cousin (along with their mommies) were there to see their dads, brothers who are walking in memory of their mom. While she waited for Daddy, this little darling hand-delivered candy to the other arriving walkers. Sweep vans rolled through from time to time, delivering walkers and raising spirits……and of course, the lunch crew served up tasty food and drinks to their fellow 3-Dayers. Lunch is the perfect time for walkers to relax……cool off in the shade……catch up on social media and texts……snap some pics of teammates……stretch……fix up their feet for the second half of the day……or just enjoy a few minutes of quiet alone time.Some walkers captured special memories with our “I’m keeping the promise for…” photo banner and props. And some friends from other crew teams stopped by to eat and kick back (hi there, pit stop 1 pirates!).Oh, and remember those adorable girls? Their daddies finally made it to lunch, and it was the sweetest reunion we saw all day. And of course, what 3-Day lunch stop would be complete without a spontaneous Youth Corps-led dance party?

What a lovely afternoon with the amazing Atlanta 3-Day family. Can’t wait to see everyone again tomorrow!

Fall into Fundraising

Can you believe we’re already halfway through October? Fall is ripe with opportunities to fundraise for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day^®. Here are some practical fundraising tips that we shared last year to help you fall into fundraising. Don’t forget, if you need more ideas, your 3-Day coach is available to help at 800-996-3DAY.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month – As you probably know, October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a great time for you to make your friends and family aware of your part in the breast cancer cause. Wear a 3-Day^® shirt around town or on training walks, and take advantage of opportunities to talk about your 3-Day fundraising efforts. Often, a little conversation is all that’s needed to ignite a new supporter’s interest.

Fall = Follow Up – When’s the last time you reached out to your donor base? Take the turning of the new season as an inspiration to send an email to your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers, and update them on your fundraising and training progress. Let them know about your goals for the last few months of the year and ask for their support. Remember, the real impact of fundraising letters/emails comes with the follow-up. Sometimes people just need that gentle reminder, and October is a fitting time to give a little pink nudge.

Trick-or-Treat for Donations! – We’ve heard a few stories over the years of 3-Day participants going door-to-door for donations on Halloween night. Jenny, a Twin Cities 3-Day participant, even wore this amazing pink ribbon costume, complete with her “boobie bucket.” You could find all kinds of ways to dress up for the cause (there’s no shortage of pink superhero costumes, pink wigs, pink tutus, etc. out there this time of year), and even get some training in by walking around your neighborhood.

Warm Up Those Fall Sports Fans – Is your town overtaken with high school or college football fever this time of year? Or are you tight with the local soccer moms at Saturday morning games? How about selling hot chocolate or coffee to tail-gaters or at the sports fields? If you want to think a little bigger, you could even make some no-sew fleece blankets to sell. As always, make sure people know their purchase is going toward your fundraising efforts and often, they’ll invite you to keep the change, too.

Give Thanks, Get Donations – While Thanksgiving is not typically a gift-giving occasion, the feel-good vibe of the holiday tends to put people in a generous spirit. Share that spirit of gratitude by telling people—in person, on Facebook, with a hand-written note—how much they mean to you, and how grateful you are for the advances in breast health that Susan G. Komen^® and the 3-Day have helped fund.

Black Friday = Pink Friday! – The day after Thanksgiving, informally known as Black Friday, is the busiest day of the year for retailers. Challenge your friends and family to calculate 10% of what they plan to spend on shopping that day, and instead donate it to your fundraising efforts (this challenge could extend all the way through the weekend to Cyber Monday, the busiest online shopping day). Or, if you’re feeling especially bold and adventurous, sell coffee and donuts to patrons who line up outside their favorite stores early on Friday morning. They’ll appreciate the breakfast options, and you’ll earn some money toward your 3-Day goals.

Giving Tuesday – On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back to charitable causes. Take advantage of all of the warm and generous feelings flying about (not to mention the wallets that have already been loosened by Thanksgiving weekend shopping) and ask for a donation to support your fight to end breast cancer.

What other fabulous fundraising ideas can you fashion for the fall season? Share them in comments or on Facebook!