Tag Archives: breast cancer walk

Your Guide to Packing for the 3-Day

It’s almost time to pack your bags for the 2024 Susan G. Komen 3-Day®! Whether you’re driving in from down the road or catching a flight across the country, it’s imperative to bring the right gear with you. This includes everything from daily toiletries to on-route essentials. To help you remember everything you might need to show up in the Pink Bubble fully prepared, follow our packing checklists for hotels and camping. 

WHAT TO BRING 

CLOTHING — Bring clothing appropriate for all types of weather — including cold, rain and heat. This includes shorts, leggings, socks, undergarments, a rain jacket/poncho, t-shirts, sweatpants, visor, sleepwear, and shoes. Be sure to pack a few outfits for each day since you’ll need to adapt to the forecast each morning and will likely want to change your outfit after returning to camp.  

TOILETRIES — Though hotels tend to have toiletries available to you, we strongly recommend packing everything you might need for your hygiene and comfort. This includes sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, hair ties, and a hairbrush. Also, don’t forget any prescription medication that you take regularly. 

FIRST AID — While we’ll have supplies and Medical Crew to tend to any major medical issues at the event, you should bring your own supplies for tending to minor medical and personal problems along the route. This includes band aids, petroleum jelly (e.g., Vaseline®), antacid, pain reliever, or anything else you anticipate needing.  

MISCELLANEOUS — Don’t forget to print and pack your credentials before showing up on event! (2-Day Walkers and 1-Day Walkers will receive your credentials when you arrive at the event.) In addition to these necessities, there may be some other things you want to bring with you. Our recommendations include anything you may use daily or to document your experience in the Pink Bubble. Consider a phone charger, journal, camera, and your Bank of America Pink Ribbon Banking card to secure a special gift in camp! 

CAMPING 

For those camping at the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day, you will wrap up each evening in a 6.5’x 6.5’ tent. For maximum comfort, you’ll want to bring some camping gear such as a sleeping bag and pillow, air mattress or camping pad, plastic sheets or tarp to keep your tent and gear dry in case of rain, a headlamp or flashlight, and mylar blankets. Throw in some decorations for your tent and you could earn a Tent Flair legacy pin!  

ON THE ROUTE 

Aside from your main piece of luggage, we recommend bringing a waist pack for use on the route with a few essentials for the journey. We suggest packing this ahead of time so you’re sure to have everything you need out on the route. In this, you may want to place a portable charger, sunglasses, sunscreen, money/credit card, identification, and a water bottle to refill along the way. Keep it light yet complete with everything you found yourself using while training. We serve water and sports drinks from large containers, so you must bring your own water bottle.  

YOUR LUGGAGE 

Pack up everything in one piece of luggage that is clearly labeled with your name, participant identification number, and cell phone number. To ensure easy transport and identification, make sure it weighs no more than 35 pounds once packed and is marked with something such as a unique luggage tag to help you pick it out of a crowd.  

WHAT NOT TO BRING 

Though fundraising is a core part of the Komen 3-Day, please don’t bring any donations, cash or otherwise, to the event. Be sure to have all your dollars added directly to your personal fundraising page before arriving at the hotel or campsite. To prevent loss or theft of any kind, leave behind any valuables such as fine jewelry, designer goods, or large amounts of cash. For safety reasons, headphones or portable music players are not permissible while walking on event so, although you may use them while traveling, leave them in your hotel room before heading out on the route each morning.  

THE NIGHT BEFORE 

On Thursday night before the Opening Ceremony, be sure to charge your phone, print your credential, and plan for a morning snack/breakfast. Be sure your waist pack is stocked with everything you need (extra socks, lip balm, etc.) and don’t forget your water bottle. 

We can’t wait to see you in the Pink Bubble! 

Youth Corps Fundraising Ideas!

Fun, creative, inclusive, forward-thinking, altruistic; Youth Corps, we’re talking about you!  

You are an integral part of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, bringing fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and an unmatched enthusiasm for making a difference. Whether this is your first Komen 3-Day as Youth Corps or you’re a returning veteran, we need your help to continue the fight against breast cancer. With your innovation and determination to leave a positive mark on this world, we’re confident that the cures for breast cancer are just around the corner. Not only does your fundraising collect money for research and patient care, but it puts you in the powerful position to influence your peers. Remember, it is going to take all of us to end this disease and we need your help! 

If you don’t know where to begin, take a deep breath and remember that you’re already changing lives just by showing up! So, let’s have some fun with fundraising and turn anything you love into an opportunity to raise money and advocate for the breast cancer cause. Unlike previous generations, you thrive in the digital world having grown up with the internet and social media as everyday essentials. As you continue your fundraising for the 3-Day®, why not use these skills to go beyond the boundaries?  

Here are some fun ideas to get you inspired!

HARNESS THE POWER OF POP CULTURE — From Taylor Swift to Naruto, the opportunities are endless! Get in your fundraising era by making and selling friendship bracelets. Host an anime viewing party or a trivia night where everyone brings a donation. Get creative and have fun with it! 

UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA — TikTok; ever heard of it? With your parents’ permission, share why you’re participating in the 3-Day and ask for donations. You can also do a challenge, where for every $10 raised, you learn a new dance or eat a bite of an onion. Want to kick it up a notch? Go to the mall with a parent or guardian and ask them to record while you share your story and ask people to donate. At the end of the video, share how much you raised and how much more you need to raise until you reach your goal!  

INCORPORATE SPORTS — If you’re on a sports team, this is the perfect place for a fundraiser with assistance from your coaches and parents! At your next game or meet, host a “pink out” where the proceeds from tickets and concessions go to your 3-Day fundraising account. Advertise with pink flyers that contain a brief statement speaking to your participation in the 3-Day Youth Corps. Maybe your team can wear a pink accessory in solidarity with the breast cancer cause.  

COLLABORATE WITH SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS — There are so many organizations throughout every school district that are always looking to contribute to a good cause. Many organizations such as musical theater and the PTA already host events, so ask to hold a concession stand or raffle entirely for 3-Day donations. You’ll be surprised by how many people will want to help! 

SHOWCASE YOUR TALENTS — If you’re an artist, dancer, or have another special skill, use it! Sell crafts at a farmers’ market or host a paint party with friends, partner with your dance studio to hold a special donation-based class, or anything else that showcases your talents.  

Regardless of how you choose to fundraise, remember that every dollar makes a difference. You are unstoppable and by putting yourself out there to ask for donations, you’re helping to create a world that is free from breast cancer. We can’t wait to see you rock yellow in the Pink Bubble! 

July Pink Bubble Story of the Month: Beth B. 

Beth B.: My Story— 4 Words Plus 1  

“A lot can happen in three days” has been running on a continuous loop through my head over this past week. May 12th was my first Mother’s Day without my mom. May 13th was the day phase 2 of treatment began. May 14th was the one-year anniversary of John’s death. It was an incredibly difficult three days for me, exacerbated by radiation burns in my throat which have made it very difficult to swallow and to eat. Thankfully, that has started to ease. 

I never wanted to become the story, but when I was originally diagnosed in 2011, I let myself become the story. I thought it was a way to show people what it’s like to have cancer, to live with cancer, and to live beyond a cancer diagnosis. It also lit a fire in me; a fire to fight, survive, and pay it forward. Every. Single. Day. Publicly sharing your story is daunting for many people [but] it is empowering for me. It puts cancer in its place. Everyone [with cancer] has a story [and] if telling my story helps just one person, then it’s worth it. It is all worth it. To anyone facing a cancer diagnosis, tell your story; tell one person, tell a friend, a stranger, tell me, tell ten people, tell 10,000 people… just tell it. Telling your story prevents cancer from being something sacred or secret and puts the power back in your hands. It also introduces you to all us survivors and thrivers. We are here and we can’t wait to meet you.   

My original story began on November 4th, 2011, with 4 words, “You have breast cancer.” 

“You have a lump.” 

“We found something suspicious.” 

“You have breast cancer.” 

“Lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemo, reconstruction.” 

“You are a survivor.” 

For the last 12+ years, I have lived my life as a survivor. I went to all my follow-up appointments, followed all the rules, I walked and walked and walked, raised money for the cause, [and] lived my life out loud. But there was always a sword hanging over my head because breast cancer is never truly gone. It hides. It lurks. It may stay hidden, [or] it may burst back into sight. It is a dirty, sneaky beast. 

On April 13, 2024, my story became 4 words plus 1, “You have METASTATIC breast cancer.” 

“There is no cure.” 

“There are treatment options.” 

“There are clinical trials.” 

“I will fight this.” 

“We will fight this.” 

“I am a thriver.”  

There are an estimated 168,000 women in the US living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and the 5-year survival rate continues to improve, thanks to advancements in treatments that help people like me live longer, and with a better quality of life. Kisquali, the drug I started taking last week, was approved by the FDA in 2018. To anyone who questions why I walk, why I have walked since 1997, why I will always walk (including this November in San Diego), why together we have raised close to $250,000, why Susan G. Komen 3-Day® participants have raised close to $1 billion—this is why. The money we raise goes to fund research [which leads] to clinical trials [which leads] to better treatment options. While there currently is no cure for MBC, people are living longer, better lives with the current drug options.  

I’m sure you’re asking where I am now.  

On May 6th, I completed 10 rounds of radiation to shrink the tumors on my spine. Memorial Sloan Kettering completed blood work which included genetic mapping of my tumors and determined I have no genetic mutations which means I do not qualify for clinical trials. My treatment was transferred up to Albany to my original oncologist and his team. On May 13th, I began phase 2 of treatment which consists of hormone therapy shots of Fulvestrant every three weeks. My current pathology is identical to my original pathology which means this is treated as breast cancer even though it is in my spine, liver and lymph nodes. Kisquali is an oral medication that blocks certain enzymes that feed my cancer which I started this last week. I take three pills a day for 21 days then I get a week off and start all over again. This will continue for the rest of my life or until another protocol is developed. I will also get Prolia injections every three months to strengthen my bones which can be impacted by these medications. This treatment protocol will be so much easier than chemo and with far fewer appointments. 

With this diagnosis, I will continue to live my life out loud. I do this for those who don’t want to, or just can’t tell their stories. This diagnosis is so much harder, but I want and need people to know I’m here if they need me. I want people to understand what MBC is and what it means, to see us Thrivers living with this chronic, not terminal, disease; and we will NOT back down.