The 2015 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in Seattle has concluded, and what a weekend it was! In spite of a rainy All Crew Kick-off on Thursday (What? Rain in Seattle? Crazy!), which left the Opening Ceremony site a little bit soggy, Mother Nature cooperated and kept the Seattle 3-Day walkers and crew members cool and (mostly) dry.

Friday morning began with a moving Opening Ceremony held beneath Seattle’s most iconic structure, the Space Needle. Hosted by our own dear Dr. Sheri, along with Chrissy Mathews from Susan G. Komen® and Seattle local events coach Aubrey Cushing, the ceremony filled our 3-Day family with inspiration and motivation to set out on Day 1.Walkers exited Seattle Center and weaved through vibrant downtown neighborhoods on the way to the I-90 bridge. Traversing this “floating” bridge stretching over Lake Washington was a memorable experience for all of the walkers, and brought us what may have been a first on the 3-Day: walker stalkers on boats! Well played, Seattle supporters!

Photo credit: Instagram @manders1957

Day 1 continued onto beautiful Mercer Island, where walkers enjoyed scenic waterfront pit stops, providing photo ops a-plenty. Another short bridge crossing brought walkers to the east side of Lake Washington and the lunch stop, where we rolled out our new “Promise” photo backdrop; it was an instant hit! Walkers started getting a good taste of Seattle’s hilly terrain as they weaved through Bellevue, but the lovely pit stops, tremendous crew support from sweep and route safety teams, and their amazing never-quit spirits kept them going all the way to camp at Marymoor Park in Redmond.

Friday night’s camp show featured fun and laughs from Dr. Sheri and Chrissy, an inspirational speech by breast cancer survivor and 10-time Seattle walker Jen, and the recognition of Seattle’s top fundraisers and Milestone Award Winner.

Walkers headed out from camp on Day 2 and were climbing right away (there’s no escaping it: Seattle is all about those hills!). But the steady diet of inclines was no match for the tenacious can-do attitudes of Seattle 3-Dayers. The challenging route was nicely broken up with gorgeous stretches along the waterfront in Kirkland and pit stops where walkers could relax and take in the breathtaking views. Saturday walker stalkers were out in full force, cheering on the walkers from cheering stations, private roadside posts, and mobile units (i.e., cars decked out in incredible pink flair). The afternoon route brought walkers back through the neighborhoods of Redmond before returning them safely to camp.

The camp show on Saturday night brought out laughter (how funny is that new dress-up race?) and tears. We recognized Seattle’s Local Impact Award winner and we heard from another survivor, Lori (who was also Seattle’s Milestone Award winner from Friday). Chrissy from Susan G. Komen made an impassioned promise to the 3-Day family, and we all were inspired by speeches from the Seattle Youth Corps. And of course, no 3-Day event would be complete without the famous Saturday night dance party.

And just like that, Day 3 was upon us. Walkers loaded onto the waiting buses at camp and were transported over to the University of Washington campus to start the day. The forecasted rain held off nicely and instead walkers enjoyed cool breezes and sunny skies for most of the morning, which made the views of the Seattle skyline from pit stop 1 at Gas Works Park all the more stunning. From there, walkers strolled through quirky Fremont, and farther down the route, the bridges and marinas of the Ballard neighborhood led to a phenomenal cheering station at the Ballard Locks where dozens of supporters came out and encouraged walkers to keep pushing through their final 10 miles of the day. With Puget Sound to the west, walkers wound their way through the beautiful residential streets of Magnolia to a picturesque lunch stop at Magnolia Viewpoint Park. Soon, they were headed back toward downtown, first heading south along the waterfront, through the Olympic Sculpture Garden, past the famous Pike Place market, and then back north to Seattle Center.

The Participant Finish Area was on the site of Friday morning’s Opening Ceremony, bringing the walkers full circle. After cheering each other across the finish line and celebrating with family and friends, the Seattle 3-Day walkers and crew members marched triumphantly onto Memorial Field for a moving Closing Ceremony. Hosted once again by Dr. Sheri, Chrissy and Aubrey, the Ceremony brought us all together once more to renew our promise to never give up our fight to end breast cancer. With joy, we thanked our many wonderful supporters, sponsors and local jurisdictions, we celebrated the incredible $2.1 million raised by Seattle’s 750 walkers and 250 crew members, and in a moment that couldn’t have been scripted, a rainbow appeared in the sky just as we prepared to raise the final flag over the Seattle 3-Day family. It was beautiful and fitting end to a wish-filled three days in the Emerald City.

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 this year, we look forward to it, and to the many of you who will make Seattle your pink home for three days next year, we can’t wait to see you again. In the meantime, we carry each of you in our hearts. Onward to Philadelphia! Want a sneak peek of photos from this weekend? Visit our Blog Album here, and be sure to check Facebook later this week for the full set of photos from Seattle that you can download and share!