2016 Atlanta 3-Day Wrap-up

We’ve turned the corner on the 2016 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season, with the conclusion of the fourth event of the year. And as we find ourselves heading back down the hill with our last 3 events of the 2016 season, we reflect on the incredible weekend we had on the Atlanta 3-Day.

The 2016 Atlanta 3-Day kicked off early Friday morning with an emotional Opening Ceremony set against the picturesque backdrop of Stone Mountain Park. Amber Livingston from Susan G. Komen® was joined on stage by Dr. Sheri Prentiss, and the two inspirational hosts motivated the crowd of eager walkers. We also heard personal testimonials from six of our incredible Atlanta participants who shared their own inspirations, for walking and crewing, making us smile, cry and reflect on the one singular goal we all share. Energized by the bravery of the beautiful Survivor’s Circle, the walkers set out, determined to face the 60-mile road ahead. The first few miles were spent migrating through Stone Mountain Park before reaching pit stop 1 and the Pirates of the CariBOOBean. Next, the walkers exited the park and walked through Stone Mountain Village to the first grab & go. Atlanta is home to an extensive network of off-road trails for pedestrians and cyclists called the PATH, and out of grab & go A in Stone Mountain, walkers took one of the PATH trails into Clarkston, through a heart-meltingly adorable preschool cheering station, and into pit stop 2. From there, it was back onto the trails and onward to the lunch stop, a “Boob-kini Beach” party in Avondale Estates. After lunch, walkers continued into quaint downtown Decatur, where they were greeted by another cheering station before hitting the second Grab & Go. After that, the route made its way into Atlanta city limits. The spooky-sweet Halloween-themed pit stop 3 and “Mardi Bras” of pit stop 4 helped power the walkers through the end of Day 1—even during a brief rain shower—and into camp at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Friday night in camp, after some outstanding live entertainment, Dr. Sheri joined Amber on stage again to thank the 3-Day’s sponsors (Bank of America and Mohawk Flooring) and introduce friends from the Komen Greater Atlanta affiliate. We played our own 3-Day version of a “Who Wore It Best” relay race, and the comical game was followed by a stirring speech from breast cancer survivor Grendel, and the always-inspiring Youth Corps speeches.

The sun was out and shining brightly on the 3-Dayers for Day 2, which was spent entirely inside Atlanta city limits, allowing walkers to see many corners of this vibrant city. From camp, walkers headed north toward Midtown and up into Lindbergh, with the first two pit stops and a packed cheering station all within the first 7 miles. Pit stop 3 was set up at the home of Komen Greater Atlanta’s offices, and the local Komen staff was out in force to rally walkers in and out of the stop with a marvelous cheering squad. After leaving pit stop 3, walkers moved through the beautiful residential area of Buckhead, then out to Paces Ferry Road and past the Governor’s mansion. Lunch and a grab & go were up next, and then the walkers moved onto the north Belt Line trail, a beautiful, shaded pathway.

That’s Gatorade, we promise!

The route moved back through downtown, past the art museum and into Midtown to Midtown Bank where pit stop 4 was set up. The bank employees even came out with tremendous spirit and some extra snacks and water to support. The final stretch on Day 2 brought walkers up close with some of downtown Atlanta’s most visited spots, including the World of Coca-Cola museum, Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park, before leading them back into camp.

Saturday is Friends & Family Night at the 3-Day, and many walkers and crew members were joined by loved ones in camp. On stage, we welcomed Victoria Wolodzko, and Catherine Oliveri from Susan G. Komen headquarters who talked about Komen’s bold new goal—to decrease breast cancer deaths by 50% in the next 10 years. The 2016 3-Day has also been a season-long celebration of the 3-Day’s 150^th walk (which was in Michigan in August), and with glasses of yummy sparkling grape juice raised, Amber led us in a toast, followed by surprise cupcakes for everyone. The camp show went on to recognize some Atlanta participants who reached milestones of their own, including top fundraisers and local award winners. And of course, the Saturday night dance party followed with typical flair.

On the morning of Day 3, the Atlanta walkers headed out from camp and onto the Georgia Tech campus. They moved back through Midtown to Piedmont Ave. and worked their way around the outside perimeter of Piedmont Park, ending up on the eastside Beltline Trail until they got to pit stop 2 and a Cheering Station at the beautiful Historic Fourth Ward Park. From there, walkers made their way east to the lunch stop then continued winding their way on and off the PATH trail, coming through Inman Park and up to pit stop 3 at the Historic Water Tower. With only a few miles to the finish, walkers trekked past the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., through downtown and past the state Capitol, and south to Turner Field, the site of the Atlanta 3-Day’s Closing Ceremony.

Surrounded by the cheers of family and friends gathered around them, the Atlanta 3-Day’s 600 walkers and 225 crew members marched victoriously into the Closing Ceremony arena. Amber and Dr. Sheri were our hosts once again, and they thanked the many wonderful supporters, sponsors and local jurisdictions that made the event possible. Soon after, we brought in the final group of Atlanta 3-Dayers, our breast cancer survivors, and together, we saluted their courage and strength, and celebrated the Atlanta 3-Day’s remarkable $1.7 million raised.

We at the 3-Day are truly humbled by the passion, dedication and spirit of every single person who touches this event. We can’t say thank you enough. To those of you who we’ll see again in one of the three remaining events this year, we look forward to it, and to the many of you who will make Atlanta your pink home for three days again next year, we can’t wait to see you again. In the meantime, we carry each of you in our hearts. Onward to Philadelphia!

Philadelphia 3-Day – 2016 Route Update!

Last year on the 3-Day® blog, we shared some detailed “Insider’s Peek at the Route” posts with you. We pulled the curtain back on the overall process of planning and executing a 60-mile route, and then got even more in-depth with each individual 3-Day walk’s route.

This year, we don’t need to dive quite so deep, since most of what we shared last year still applies. But we definitely wanted to keep you looped-in with the updates and changes that have been made to the 3-Day routes for 2016. We’re also bringing in members of the 3-Day Advisory Council to share their thoughts about the 2016 changes. These participants stand as the “voice” of the 3-Day community and their input has been instrumental in strengthening the communication and camaraderie between Komen and the 3-Day family, so we’re thrilled to have their insight here on our route updates.

We’ve previously shared route updates for Michigan, Twin Cities, Seattle and Atlanta, and today, the Philadelphia 3-Day route is the star of the show!

Need a refresher about what the Philadelphia 3-Day route was like last year? Read our 2015 “Insider’s Peek” post here.

New for 2016 – Missy, the Event Planning Manager for the Philadelphia 3-Day, shared some info about updates to the 2016 Philly route. “Day 1 of the Philadelphia 3-Day route is exactly the same as it was last year, and Day 3 has only a few changes, including new locations for a couple of pit stops.” The real excitement about Philadelphia’s 2016 route changes comes on Day 2. “Saturday’s route is completely new, including all new route stops,” Missy shared.

Staying mostly within the Philadelphia city limits, this new Day 2 route incorporates some highlights that Philly walkers have visited before, plus others that we’ll be visiting for the first time. Missy also teased, “There’s a special surprise at the beginning of Day 2, but we won’t spoil it here.” Missy also gave a heads-up that there is a substantial hill just before lunch on Day 2 (keep an eye out for sweep vans if you need one), but added, “Main Street Manayunk and the second half of the day will make it worth it!”

Highlights from the whole weekend include: Germantown Ave., “Bra Street,” Historic Rittenhouse Town, 30th Street Station, City Hall, Dilworth Park (where the LOVE statue has been relocated), Philadelphia Art Museum “Rocky Steps,” Cynwyd Heritage Trail, Manayunk, Boathouse Row, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, Italian Market, FDR Park and the Navy Yard.

In Their Words – Here’s what Kerry and Carol, two of our 3-Day Advisory Council members, had to say about the 2016 Philly updates:

Kerry (2^nd year Philadelphia walker) kerry_phl_2 Kerry walked for the first time in last year’s Philadelphia 3-Day and returns to Philly this year as a three-year survivor. She said, “I am from the Philadelphia area, so I love any opportunity to see the city from a walker’s perspective.” As all of our 2015 Philadelphia 3-Dayers will remember, the weather last year was less than pleasant, but Kerry still saw the silver lining on Day 3. “Because the weather was cold and rainy and windy, I was told [by veteran Philadelphia walkers] that the cheering stations had fewer people than normal during the first two days. So I loved Day 3, going through the city on a beautiful day, getting cheered on by the community!”

Carol (14x participant) carol_phl Carol is a Philadelphia local and a long-time Philly 3-Dayer. This year, she is also one of our full 3-Day Series walkers, hitting the sidewalks in all seven 3-Day locations, but her heart belongs to Philly. “Because I am from here I have always been a little biased towards Philadelphia.” Carol is quick to welcome all of this year’s Philadelphia 3-Dayers to her town. “If you’re coming to Philadelphia for the first time, welcome! Don’t forget your camera and be prepared to feel the love. If you are a repeat offender, welcome back! I hope you are as happy with the changes to the route as I am.”

With regard to the Philadelphia route itself, Carol has some personal highlights. “I love walking by all the historic sites. The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Constitution Center are all very wonderful places to see. The XOXO statue outside the Constitution Center is such a bonus and makes a really nice photo op. I also love walking by the art museum; the first year I walked, I ran up the ‘Rocky steps’ after walking 15 miles!”

As for the route features that are new for this year, Carol said, “I am really excited about the addition of the Italian Market. Just recently on a training walk, we talked about how fun it would be to walk through this area on event. I’m also excited to be going back to Manayunk. It is a great area for community support and beautiful scenery. Being local to the Philadelphia area, I was sad when I learned that they were taking away LOVE Park. It was a place that I not only visited on the 3-Day, but even as a teenager and many times over the years. I am very excited that the changes in this year’s 3-Day event will incorporate the new location of the LOVE statue.” Even though it will be her fifth 3-Day walk of the year, Carol’s enthusiasm for the Philly walk is contagious. “This is truly the City of Brotherly Love (and sisterly affection!) as you will see when you join us this year!”

Keep an eye on the 3-Day blog in the coming weeks when we’ll continue sharing updates about the remaining 2016 3-Day routes.

The Atlanta 3-Day Coaches Talk About…The Atlanta 3-Day Coaches!

They’re the helpful cheerleaders on the other end of the phone call or email when you have questions or concerns. They’re the smiling faces welcoming you and your teams at meet-ups and workshops and building up community excitement for the 3-Day. They’re the guiding hands leading the crew captains and teams to greatness. That’s right, they’re your Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches!

As we’ve prepared to return to each of the seven splendid 3-Day locations this year, we’ve been taking a few minutes to catch up with the coaches from each event. You’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the past couple of years on the 3-Day blog and this year, instead of letting them talk about themselves, I asked their fellow coaches to do it for them!

The Atlanta coaches—Tara, Susan and Libby—are the stars of the show today! Click here to see what we knew about them already, and keep reading to see what they each had to say about each other.

Tara, Susan and Libby

Tara (Atlanta Local Events Coach)

“Tara is full of energy, funny, and totally loves the 3-Day. She truly cares about our participants and is a great resource for them. She’s an amazing listener, and will go out of her way to make sure that participants have great experiences whether it’s a training walk, meeting or the 3-Day itself. She is always able to jump in with fun ideas for our local events, and she’s the creative and crafty one who makes sure everything is planned just right. She has so much knowledge from her years of being on tour with the 3-Day, and she is so great about sharing that knowledge to ensure that everything is perfect on event.”– Susan

“Tara is exactly the motivation that our walkers need and love. She is quick and witty and always makes the best out of every situation. Her ‘get it done’ attitude makes our team dynamic and not only productive but fun.” – Libby

Susan (Atlanta Participant Support Coach)

“Susan is your go-to girl. She takes care of all of us and is the queen of follow-up. If she doesn’t have the answer she will quickly find it for you. She is kind and thoughtful and a perfect match to our trio.” – Libby

“Susan is top notch. She knows it all and it’s no surprise that if I have a question she is the first person I can go to for an answer. She hears from all of our walkers and is always on top of communicating with them and making sure they are all well supported. She always wants what’s best for them and I am so inspired by her commitment to them. She also is an all-around super co-worker and we connect on so many levels.” – Tara

Libby (Atlanta Crew & Volunteer Coordinator)

“Libby is so in touch with her crew and her captains that they are always willing to come and support us during pre-event meetings and events. They are like family to Libby and she knows so much about each of them. She is protective of what the crew needs and lets us know how they need to be supported and encouraged. As a team mate she is so fun to work with and joke with!” – Tara

“Libby is amazing at working with our crew and volunteers. The job requires incredible flexibility as there are so many moving parts and constant changes. She always stays calm, and is a true advocate for her crew to make sure that they are well taken care of. I love watching her interact with the crew, she is absolutely loved. She is also hilarious and so fun to work with!” – Susan

The Whole Atlanta Team!

Without even being asked, all three of the Atlanta coaches also had some lovely comments about the team overall.

Tara said, “I would describe the Atlanta team as all around KICK-BUTT. Supportive, in sync, jubilant, motivated and involved! We always have such a great time going out on event together and seeing our participants and mingling with them. We always go to the same Mexican restaurant on our event, we had a great time getting ready for our Komen Impact Forum and I personally truly couldn’t be more thankful for the support when I had baby Reid and the baby shower, and the endless advice and love they showed me during that time!”

“We are so lucky that we all live in the same city,” Susan shared. “My most favorite memories are our on-event shenanigans while we spend time traveling from place to place. Typically it involves me getting teased a bit (I may or may not be a whiz with the GPS), or finding some good Mexican food. No matter what it is, we always have fun together, and enjoy celebrating at the end of each season.”

And Libby said, “Our team is really a great mix of personalities and strengths. We really work so well together! We have gelled as a team from our first year together and we just seem to get better every year.”

Do you know the Atlanta coaches? How would you describe these fabulous ladies?