The Susan G. Komen Twin Cities 3-Day began early Friday morning as a cheerful pink family against a gray sky. The somber weather was no match for the enthusiasm and dedication radiating from our walkers and crew, who listened to moving stories from the honor speakers, shouted the names of their loved ones in memoriam, and were amped up by Chrissy Mathews, 3-Day Program Manager, and Dr. Sheri Prentiss. As music pulsed through the lot at Southdale Center in Edina, our 500 walkers began the first steps in their 3-Day journey.
Pit Stop 1 greeted walkers with a peaceful vibe… of peace, love, and boobees, that is. Walkers refueled with juicy oranges and grahamwiches, filled up on sports drink, visited portapotties, and headed back out onto the route.
Minnesota’s stunning green landscape didn’t disappoint at 6.3 miles in at Lake Harriet, where ducks floated by and squirrels dashed up trees.
After lunch, the sweeping city views at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park were the perfect backdrop for photos (thanks, Bank of America!), and having clocked 14.7 miles, feet were starting to get sore. Pit stops refueled the walkers several miles later as grahamwiches were scarfed and hydration remained a priority.
Back at camp, walkers relaxed with Bank of America’s massage chairs and hands on massage, and sipped refreshing mocktails in our glamping lounge. Camp Angels helped set up pink tents and slowly a pink city rose against the blue dusk. We welcomed in our last walker and then heard from courageous survivor Teresa Swinson, 3-Day specialist Amber, played some games with Bank of America, and listened to the Youth Corps share their reasons for participating. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Camp show ended on an inspirational note, and we walked back to our tents feeling tired but grateful, finishing off the day knowing we made a 20-mile impact in the fight against breast cancer.
Day 2 was full of what some walkers dubbed ‘tears of joy’. Sprinkles and downpours drenched our walkers and crew in liquid sunshine, but cheery yellow ponchos kept everyone relatively dry and the walk went on. Flooded roads put a slight crimp in the route, with a special re-route courtesy of cozy SAG buses that whisked our walkers away to lunch.
While the rain kept coming down, the amazing and optimistic attitudes of 3-Dayers shone through even when the sun didn’t. The day was moved along by the hard work of our energetic crew, and pit Stops like Pit 4, the Wizard of Bras, provided hilarious entertainment with pumping music and dance parties. We may not have been in Kansas, but the yellow brick road and cold sports drink of Pit 4 proved that there’s no place like the 3-Day.
Saturday is Friends and Family night at the 3-Day, so it was the perfect night to call out the extraordinary Top Fundraisers, Local Impact Award Winner, Milestone Award Winner, Veteran and New Walkers. They were all rewarded with personalized gifts from Bank of America, which was the perfect introduction to a special celebration loaded with surprises in honor of our 150th walk! We won’t tell you much here so it’s a surprise for everyone 😉
Though the rain may have made parts of Day 2 more challenging, it cleared up in time for a beautiful sunset, the perfect parting gift for a special 40 miles.
It was smiles all around in Camp on Sunday morning as walkers woke up in Harvest Park to clear blue skies.
The public came out to cheer on our walkers at Northwood and Indian Mounds Parks, passing out candies, ribbons, and to some lucky walkers, hot coffee from a popular establishment. Indian Mounds Park was the source of the day’s knockout scenery, with the St. Paul skyline bursting through clearings in the trees.
It was just a few more miles through downtown St. Paul to get to the gorgeous Harriet Island, home of our Closing Ceremony. Our walkers marched victoriously onto the field, surrounded by clapping Crew members. They knelt in solidarity, each holding a shoe towards the sky, saluting our brave survivors as they walked into the audience. Chrissy and Dr. Sheri shared the news that 500 walkers and 200 crew raised an astonishing $1.4 million dollars toward furthering the fight against breast cancer. Looking out into a sea of survivors and co-survivors, family and friends, we were reminded again of the magnitude of what we do, and the power, dedication, and HOPE that comes from the tenacity and commitment of each and every one of you. Twin Cities; we’re so proud of you, and we promise you: we will never give up.
