Tag Archives: 3-Day Closing Ceremony

San Diego Coaches’ Favorite Memories

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We’re just one day away from our final 3-Day of 2017 and our San Diego coaches are bursting at the seams with excitement! They can’t wait to welcome all the participants to the West Coast for three days of fun, love and a big pink bubble of happiness. Before we begin our sixty-mile journey with them, they’re taking a look back at 3-Days of the past, and giving you their must-visit spots in San Diego!

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What are your favorite memories of the 3-Days past?

Coach Marianne: The time that I spend with my team training and on-event are some of my best memories. There is so much time to talk and really get to know each other as we spend hours walking. This opportunity is hard to find in our busy lives.

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Coach Amy: Caboosing the Kansas City 3-Day. My bike was way too big, and I had no idea how to operate my Nextel. Not a great combination. However, those technical difficulties quickly faded when I came upon 2 little girls, probably around 4 years old, on the side of the path holding a sign saying, “Mommy we miss you, please come back”.

As the tears welled up, I was dumbfounded at the reality of this plea. We do not realize how precious life is until it is too late. We tend to take each day for granted, not understanding what tomorrow may bring. This is why we walk. And this is why I feel so grateful to do what I do. Every. Single. Day.

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What are you looking forward to most for this year’s walk?

Coach Amy: Loving up the San Diego 3-Day crew community. For the past two years I have been supporting the Twin Cities 3-Day and I am so excited to be back in San Diego, and have the opportunity to see all the smiling faces of my sweet crew members who I have missed working alongside.

Coach Staci: Meeting all the people I’ve been emailing with and speaking with on the phone!

Coach Marianne: I’m thrilled to be experiencing the walk from a different perspective this year as a coach. I’m excited to interact with all the people I’ve been talking to and planning with the past few months. My appreciation for the walk and the many people involved has grown immensely as I’ve seen firsthand just how hard everyone involved works and how committed our entire 3-Day community is.

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What are your favorite spots on the route?

Coach Staci: The top of Torrey Pines hill and the Day 1 lunch spot – with surfers crossing the path while walkers are walking by.

Coach Marianne: I love the approach to La Jolla Cove and listening to all our visiting walkers comment on how spectacularly beautiful it is. This gives me a renewed appreciation for where I live. My very first-time snorkeling in the ocean was at La Jolla Cove when I was a teenager so it brings back sweet memories. I also love to walk through the residential neighborhoods and look at the beautiful homes. You notice so much more walking than you do driving, it’s a real treat.

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Coach Amy: The view from the top of Torrey Pines! Watching the waves crash along sunset cliffs. And of course, morning sunrise at camp. I know that is not the route, but it is spectacular to see the sun rise above the bay!

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What are your favorite spots in San Diego to eat and play?

Coach Amy: Lofty Coffee for my favorite almond milk latte. The. Best.

The Fish Shop for a yummy fish taco. Favorite beach is Table Tops in Solana Beach or Cardiff beach. I relish any time I can escape to the Belly Up for live music!

Coach Marianne: I love the ocean so I find that I gravitate there when I go out to play. A perfect San Diego day may be as simple as a day spent at the beach swimming in the ocean and sunning. We also have so many new brew pubs in the area that I’ve been methodically working my way through them. My favorite go-to place to meet up with a group is Bagby’s in Oceanside because they have so much creative indoor and outdoor space for a group as well as fantastic food and drinks.

What are you most excited about for the 2017 San Diego 3-Day? Tell us in the comments!

2017 Dallas Fort Worth 3-Day Round-Up

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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Philadelphia 3-Day Route Preview

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The Philly 3-Day is coming up this weekend, and it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful three days for walking, having fun, and making memories. Our whole 3-Day team can’t wait to host our walkers, crew and supporters for a wonderful weekend together! There are some new spots on the route, but there are also plenty of favorite destinations and iconic sights you won’t want to miss!

Our Opening Ceremony will once again take place at the Willow Grove Park Mall, giving our walkers a fun and festive atmosphere to kick off their sixty miles.

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The highlight of Day 1, according to Coach Joanne Taylor, is the perfect photo spot: Bra Street.

“Bra street is on Day One and I am so excited! That’s early in the morning, within the first few miles of the route. The weather is going to be so good, so it will be better than ever! Make sure to take photos!”

Walkers will also be making strides through Chestnut Hill and Flourtown, which provide beautiful views of nature.

Then, throughout Day 1, and indeed most of the weekend, we will be walking along the picturesque Wissahickon Trail. Walkers will end Day 1 on the trail and enter our new camp site at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington.

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Camp will be outside this year, for the first time since 2009, and Joanne and the other coaches are excited for walkers to see the new location. There will be plenty of space, as camp is set up near the athletic fields of the school. Everyone will be cheered into camp on Day 1 as there is a cheering station right as walkers arrive at camp at the end of the day.

To start Day 2, walkers will exit camp via the Wissahickon Trail, and can expect lots of local support at our cheering stations!

“Philly really came through this year!” Coach Joanne enthuses. “We have an amazing amount of cheering stations!”

That includes eight private cheering stations on Day 1, nine private cheering stations on Day 2, and six private cheering stations on Day 3. There are also two public cheering stations on each of the three days. Get ready for lots of excited locals!

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Another highlight of Day 2 is Maneyunk, which is a hilly part of Philadelphia (which might be a little challenging for some walkers!) but Coach Joanne loves it because it’s such a unique part of the city.

“We have a cheering station at the fire station there, where there might even be a fun DJ. It’s just a really cool area!”

There will also be a few picnic areas, parks and playgrounds on the Day 2 route, so feel free to let your inner kid loose and have some fun! Overall, we will be walking along about nine miles of trails and through natural areas on the 3-Day.

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To start Sunday morning, walkers will be bused from camp to the Philadelphia Zoo and be walking throughout Philadelphia that day. That includes Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

“That IS Philadelphia!” according to Coach Joanne.

Walkers should also look out for the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Affiliate, who will have a cheering station at the bottom of the Rocky Steps. Let them cheer you on for some fun photos!

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There will be more Philly support from our local NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Their drumline will be out on Broad Street on the afternoon of Day 3, leading into our Closing Ceremony at the Navy Yard.

Coach Joanne promises, “For all the walkers that walk by around 2 or 3 pm, there will be a drumline there for an hour or so, supporting the walkers on their way in!”

Aside from community support, Coach Joanne promises that this weekend will show off Philadelphia at its best. For locals and out-of-towners, it will be a beautiful weekend of fun!

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“It’s a unique city. You have suburbs in the middle of a large urban area, so it’s very cool,” explains Coach Joanne. “Our walkers couldn’t come at a better time of year!”

For more of our favorite sights from the Philadelphia 3-Day, check out our photo slideshow!

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What are you looking forward to most on the Philadelphia 3-Day? Tell us in the comments! And, if you have any more questions, your Philly 3-Day coaches are here to help!