Tag Archives: breast cancer fundraising

May 2014 3-Day Meet-up Round-up and Tweet Chat Recap

The beautiful month of May brought us face-to-face with so many of our amazing Susan G. Komen 3-Day® participants and supporters. The warmer weather provided wonderful conditions for our many Komen 3-Day Training Kick-off Events, as well as other meetings and get-togethers. Come see where we’ve been!

Michigan

In Michigan, new walkers gathered at a California Pizza Kitchen to share a meal and get advice from some seasoned 3-Day veterans. Michigan 3-Dayers also had some fun with wine at Michigan By The Bottle, and got their families involved at the Maybury State Park Family Meet-Up. Some of these events will be happening again in June, so check the calendar and don’t miss out!

Twin Cities

The Twin Cities Training Walk Kick-off event was on May 3rd. The 20+ participants in attendance started the morning off with a 3-mile walk around beautiful Lake Harriet, followed by a training workshop led by New Balance Outfitter, GEAR Running Store. The walkers were even supported by an awesome group of crew members/volunteers who set up a pit stop back at the store. Lots of 3-Day excitement!susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk twin cities trainingsusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk twin cities training pit stopsusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk twin cities training

Seattle

Training walk leader Sandra led this group of Seattle participants on a fun and informative 3-mile Walk & Talk to Pioneer Park and back to Wanna Cupcake for a delicious ending. Check the June calendar at The3Day.org/Calendar for more Seattle training events and meetings. susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk seattle training walk and talk

Atlanta

On May 3rd we had the Training Kick-off event for the Atlanta 3-Day. Nearly 40 gathered at the New Balance store, excited about the perfect walking weather that morning. They had the choice of an 8-mile or 4-mile route (most opted for the full 8), and once the walkers were out, a few wonderful crew members and coaches set up a pit stop, complete with water, oranges, bananas, bagels, and of course some Snickers. Back at the store after the walk, the coaches hosted a packing workshop while the New Balance folks helped with lots of shoe fittings. By the end, walkers were already asking about having another Training Kick-Off event at the 16 week-out mark. susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk atlanta trainingsusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training atlanta pit stopsusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training atlanta

 

Dallas/Fort Worth

3-Day coaches, walkers and crew members gathered for a Meet & Greet at The Vintage House, a charming 100+ year old home/shop in Historic Downtown Carrollton which is famously known as “The Pink House” – how perfect! susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training dallas fort worth vintage house pinksusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training dallas fort worth vintage house pink

 San Diego

Like so many other 3-Day cities, San Diego kicked off its 24-week training schedule with a bang! Nearly 50 walkers and volunteers met at the Encinitas New Balance store. A representative from the local Susan G. Komen® affiliate gave an inspirational talk before the walkers were off on a 3- or 7-mile training walk (most jumped right in for the full 7!). They were even supported by two Route Safety crew members on bikes, and treated to a seaside pit stop along their route. susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training san diegosusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training pit stopsusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk training san diego

The 3-Day at the Race for the Cure®

Local Race for the Cure® events were held in a few of our 3-Day cities this past month, and the 3-Day coaches were on-hand to support the racers and say hello to our 3-Day family in attendance.

Saturday, May 10 – Twin Cities Race for the Cure  susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk twin cities race for the curesusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk twin cities race for the cure

Sunday, May 11 – Philadelphia Race for the Cure  susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk philadelphia race for the cure

Sunday, June 1 – Puget Sound Race for the Curesusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk seattle puget sound race for the curesusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk seattle puget sound race for the cure

 

What? You missed out on these events in May? Well don’t you worry, because June is bursting with more meet-up opportunities in every 3-Day location. Find out where to find us at The3Day.org/calendar.

 

Wait, there’s more! We even met up in cyberspace!

On May 29, the 3-Day hosted its very first Tweet Chat. We joined with dozens of 3-Day walkers and crew members on Twitter and spent over an hour swapping fundraising tips and advice. It was fast paced, fun and inspiring to see so many 3-Day participants sharing their ideas with each other in this virtual meeting room. We’ve posted some highlights below, but you can see the whole conversation by visiting the 3-Day Twitter page (www.twitter.com/the3day), or searching for the hashtag #the3day, then scrolling to the May 29 posts. And of course, keep your eye on the 3-Day social networking sites for announcements about our next Tweet Chat, coming soon….

 

The Emotional Journey of the 3-Day Fundraiser

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® is an experience which elicits deep and profound emotional responses at every turn. For most Komen 3-Day walkers, the emotional journey begins as soon as they register and are faced with the challenge of raising $2300. Join us as we dissect the phases of feelings that the average 3-Day® fundraiser goes through.

Anxiety susan g. Komen 3-Day breast cancer walk fundraising

How am I going to raise all that money? Will I have enough time? What if no one donates to me? The beginning of the fundraiser’s journey is often fraught with stomach-churning apprehension. It’s totally normal. Raising $2300 is a big challenge, and it deserves a respectful degree of trepidation.

Resolvesusan g. Komen 3-Day breast cancer walk fundraising resolve

The good news is, for most fundraisers, the anxiety phase is quickly pushed aside by a firm resolve to get the job done. You realize that any fear you’re feeling about fundraising is nothing compared to the terrifying reality of a breast cancer diagnosis, and you are soon ready to move beyond the worry and get to work.

Excitementsusan g. Komen 3-Day breast cancer walk fundraising excitement

Once you’ve dug in your heels and determined that failure is not an option, the fun starts. There are literally hundreds of ways that a 3-Day walker can raise money, and figuring out which strategies will work best is an exciting prospect. Should I organize a fundraising event? I wonder how much money I could raise just by recycling cans and bottles… Hey, my brother works for a company that does matching gifts! Even if your go-to tactic is as simple as sending an email to your friends and family, you will feel a special thrill in expressing your reasons for walking and your anticipation about the 60-mile journey. You will be eager to invite your friends and family to join you in the voyage.

AnticipationSusan G. Komen walkers gear up and take on Day 3 to find a cure for breast cancer.

So you’ve hit “Send” on your fundraising emails, and now…you wait. Waiting can be stressful, but remember that the fundraiser’s journey is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take time for those donations to roll in, so be patient. Give it a week or two, then send a follow-up.

Inspirationsusan g. Komen 3-Day breast cancer walk fundraising inspiration

And oh, when the donations come it, how sweet it is! There’s nothing quite like the delight of getting those notification emails letting you know that you’ve received a new donation. Your hard work is paying off, and with every new donation, your faith in humanity is confirmed. You’ll find yourself surprised and overwhelmed by the generosity that can come from sometimes the most unexpected places.

Gratitudesusan g. Komen 3-Day breast cancer walk fundraising gratitude

The appreciation that the fundraiser feels for his/her donors is as sincere an emotion as they come. With every step you take on your 60-mile adventure, you carry your donors with you.

 

Fundraising for the 3-Day is emotional, make no doubt about it. If you ever feel overwhelmed by any of these emotions, call the coaches at 800-996-3DAY. We’ve all been there, and we will always be there for you – to work through your worries, to overcome your obstacles, and to celebrate your victories.

What emotions have you experienced as a 3-Day fundraiser?

3-Day Fundraising – Making a Difference, One Bottle at a Time

Jim Hillmann knows a thing or two about being a Susan G. Komen 3-Day® walker. He has completed 28 Komen 3-Day events since 2008, including all 14 events in 2011. This year again, Jim is one of a handful of walkers participating in all seven 3-Day® events – an incredible commitment! Participating in so many walks means completing an impressive amount of fundraising, so Jim employs dozens of different tactics and strategies to reach his fundraising goals.

Susan g Komen 3-Day breast cancer walk jim hillmann

He shared the story behind one of his fundraising strategies: recycling for cash.

“In 2012, at the suggestion of a fellow 3-Day friend, I began raising funds through recycling CRV plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans. Although it began slowly with my first trip to the recycling center bringing in $45, the amounts gradually grew to $100, then $150 then $200 and more each trip to the recycle center.” Jim visits his local recycling center in San Jose, California about every 5-6 weeks. “In 2012, I raised $1050, then nearly $1500 in 2013 and I have already raised nearly $700 in 2014 so far, with the goal to break $2000 for the first time. Ultimately, I would like to raise enough to fully fund one 3-Day.”

Jim shared that the key to his success with raising 3-Day funds through recycling is not any different than what makes other fundraising methods successful: building a network of supporters. For his recycling efforts, he wasn’t content to just cash in whatever ended up in his own recycle bin. “What first began as two [collection] locations at work has now grown into four work locations, multiple people at church who save their recyclables, and a network of friends who do the same. The gym I work out at even allows me to have a recycling container that I collect twice a week.”

Komen_3Day_jim hillmann_recycle fundraising

Raising money for his 3-Day events is the biggest benefit of his recycling efforts, but it’s not the only benefit. “The super part, besides the funds raised, is that I also have the opportunity to spread more breast cancer awareness. Many people have asked why I am doing this, and asked if their help really matters even though it is only a ‘small bag’ of recyclables. When this happens, the door has been opened to tell them about our wonderful 3-Day community and all that it does for those affected by breast cancer.”

Jim has an inspiring perspective on the whole thing. “With our walks, sixty miles is a long distance to travel and we accomplish it by taking one step at a time over the course of three days, not sixty miles in one long step. I relate our walks to the recyclable fundraising, letting people know that a single given bottle may not seem like much, but bottle-by-bottle, can-by-can, they really do add up both in quantity and dollars. Through their individual gatherings, when combined with others, a huge difference is being made in people’s lives.”

We applaud Jim for his creativity and dedication to fundraising for the 3-Day. To date, he and his wonderful network of “co-collectors” have raised over $3200 total since 2012. As Jim puts it, “Not only are the streets and landfills a bit cleaner, but lives have been changed!”

Tell us about ways that you have engaged your community, and what creative fundraising strategies you have you tried!