Bank of America Recognizes Rachel Brown’s Outstanding Fundraising Efforts for Susan G. Komen 3-Day®

Rachel Brown receiving her donation from Bank of America for being a top fundraiser of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

Rachel receiving her $500 donation from Bank of America.

When Rachel Brown’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she was immediately inspired after seeing an advertisement for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day ®, a 60-mile walk over the course of three days aimed at raising funds to help end breast cancer forever. Since then, Rachel has remained dedicated to the 3-Day, earning well-deserved recognition as a top fundraiser.

Rachel and her team, the Bouncin’ Buckeyes, have walked in the 3-Day since 2005 in various states. Rachel has completed an impressive 30 walks, often braving challenging conditions, including freezing temperatures and sideways rain in Dallas 2023, and sleeping in tents amid a rainstorm. Despite these obstacles, the team has stayed committed to supporting the 3-Day cause.

“We keep doing this because when we listen to the speakers talk about their breast cancer journeys at the opening and closing ceremonies and the walkers, it makes you realize you are making a difference,” Rachel said. “We always remember why we walk. It’s not easy to do the 3-Day, but we are really driven by wanting to make a difference.”

Rachel Brown and her team, the Bouncin' Buckeyes

Rachel and the Bouncin’ Buckeyes

To date, Rachel and the Bouncin’ Buckeyes have raised over $776,000 for the 3-Day. As an individual participant, Rachel has raised $371,461 since her first walk. Her remarkable efforts were celebrated at the 2024 San Diego 3-Day, where she was honored as the Top Individual Fundraiser at the Bank of America Celebration of Champions, earning $500 from Bank of America to support her 2025 fundraising goal.

Additionally, the Bouncin’ Buckeyes received the Small But Mighty Team Award for raising an incredible $78,500. Bank of America made a $500 donation to Rachel and her two team captains, to support their 3-Day fundraising efforts.

“When I think back to where we started and where we are now, it’s wild to see what we’ve accomplished,” Rachel said. “Receiving the Bank of America donations was awesome and really kicked-off our enthusiasm for the 2025 3-Day.”

Rachel and the Bouncin’ Buckeyes work tirelessly each year to reach their 3-Day goals. The team ranges in age from 23 to 72. Her mother, Carol, is a 20-year survivor who has walked in three 3-Days and been a crew member for 12 years. Her younger sister has also walked and crewed for the event, and her older sister supports the team at the events by making coffee runs, coordinating off-site lunches and making sure the team has everything they need to make it across the 3-Day finish line.

“There’s millions of people that could do this, but there are only thousands that will do it,” Rachel said about the 3-Day. “We are a unique and amazing group of people who do this because we want to help. If it were easy, everyone would do it.”

Rachel along the 3-Day route

Rachel says she is overwhelmingly grateful to the generous supporters who donate to her team year after year and make reaching the 3-Day fundraising goals possible.

Bank of America has been a Susan G. Komen ® partner since 2009, and serves as the National Presenting Sponsor of the Komen 3-Day ®, Race for the Cure ® and MORE THAN PINK Walk® events in the U.S. Bank of America also helps support Komen through its Pink Ribbon Banking Affinity products, which has raised over $14 million to date.

To learn more about the 3-Day visit the3day.org.

To donate to Rachel’s 3-Day fundraiser visit the3day.org/goto/rachelbrown2025.

How Breast Cancer Research Changed a 3-Day Coach’s Life

Ann Vondriska is a breast cancer survivor and coach for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

Terrifying. That’s how Ann Vondriska described the seven weeks it took for doctors to diagnose her with breast cancer after she discovered a swollen lymph node in 2006.

“It was terror while I waited for the results,” recalled Ann, who was 49 at the time and a mother to three children. “I did all sorts of testing. First, they thought it was brain cancer, then ovarian, thyroid, uterine, pancreatic. It was a nightmare.”

Eventually, the diagnosis was clear. It was breast cancer. Ann endured 16 rounds of chemotherapy, breast surgery and radiation over the course of a year and a half. She was also set to receive 40 more rounds of chemotherapy. But then, a call from her oncologist brought good news. Thanks to research funded by Susan G. Komen at the University of Michigan, a new treatment plan was developed for her type of breast cancer.

The new regimen meant fewer treatments. Ann now needed just one chemotherapy infusion every three weeks, cutting her original treatment schedule from 40 rounds to 14.

“It literally changed my life,” Ann said. “I had kids at home. My daughter was 8 at the time, and there was so much involved every time I had to leave the house for chemo. It was the driving there, the parking, sitting in the chair, getting hooked up to the IV and looking at everyone around you. It was a lot.”

Ann and her daughter, Elizabeth, at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Chicago.

Ann took another step forward in her journey in 2010 when a friend formed a team to walk in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in her honor. “It was one of the most humbling moments of my life,” she said. The following year, Ann and her daughter, Elizabeth, joined the 3-Day themselves, and Ann didn’t look back.

Now, she’s a coach for 3-Day walkers and is dedicated to mentoring them though training for the walk, giving advice on fundraising strategies and encouraging them along the way.

Ann says being a part of the 3-Day is more than just walking—it’s about helping to support people who are navigating their own path through breast cancer and supporting the very research that saved her life.

“My job now is to pay it forward,” Ann said. “For the rest of my life I am going to fundraise, coach and support the 3-Day and Komen because it changed my life.”

The 2025 Komen 3-Day events will be held in Denver (Aug. 1-3), New England (Aug. 15-17), Dallas/Fort Worth (Oct.24-26) and San Diego (Nov. 14-16).

To register for one of the 3-Day events, visit the 3-Day.

Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.

Denver Awaits: Join Us for the Impactful 3-Day

Blush skies over the city of Denver which hosts the Susan G. Komen 3-Day(R)

This summer, the beautiful city of Denver will be the first stop in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® series, and we want YOU to be a part of it. When you arrive on Aug. 1, you’ll be immersed in the Pink Bubble, a vibrant community well known for its spirit of hope, remembrance and celebration.

The 3-Day is an up to 60-mile journey where participants walk for themselves, for loved ones or for people they may not know but whose experience with breast cancer they want to honor.

While Denver can see temperatures in the summer reach the 90s, Nancy Partridge, a breast cancer survivor and advocacy ambassador for the Komen Center for Public Policy, says the Mile High City is the perfect backdrop for the 3-Day’s memorable experience.

“In Boulder it’s a real treat. It’s a quaint, quirky, little college town that is set up against the Flatirons, which is some of the most beautiful mountains that you will see up close and personal,” Nancy, who lived in the city for 20 years, explained. “Denver is shaded by high rises, and in Boulder, most of the route is shaded by trees. So, when you feel the sunshine on your face, it feels good.”

Nancy and her teammate, Andrea Casillas, at the Denver 3-Day.

However, with Denver’s high altitude (5,280 feet above sea level), Nancy emphasized the importance of being prepared. “It’s important for walkers to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and eat foods high in potassium like avocado and cantaloupe.”

The Denver 3-Day isn’t just about the walk; it’s also about the impact. In 2024, 700 walkers and 220 crew members gathered in Denver and raised $2.3 million to support breast cancer research, education, advocacy and patient support services. Tracey Bahlo has participated in the 3-Day more than 20 times to honor her sister, a two-time breast cancer survivor, as well as others touched by breast cancer. She says it’s an incredible experience.

Tracey Bahlo has walked the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 22 times.

“It raises money for meaningful research and support, and provides hope,” Tracey said. “Every year at the San Diego 3-Day, there’s a woman with a sign that reads, ‘People like you saved me.’ That’s why I walk.”

Whether you’re a Colorado native or visiting for the first time, the 3-Day offers a new perspective on Denver. The route highlights some of the city’s most scenic spots—from Boulder’s hilly streets to iconic landmarks like Coors Field and the famous 40-foot blue bear at the convention center.

Nancy and her friend, Kate Ahnen, who met at the Denver 3-day.

With warm weather likely in August, Tracey recommends some tips to stay cool: “Start walking early and wear a long sleeve, light weight shirt. The sun on your skin will be hotter. And don’t forget to wear an ice wrap around your neck!”

Since it began in 2003, the 3-Day series has welcomed more than 500,000 participants and raised more $915 million. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this amazing journey. Visit the 3-Day today to register for Denver!