Your Dollars at Work: 3-Day Funds and Komen’s Mission Objectives

Participants often ask me how 3-Day funds are put to use. It’s a logical question: If you’re working hard towards raising at least $2,300 each year to walk, you want to know how those dollars get put to work.

If you’ve done the 3-Day before, you’ve probably heard that 25% of the net proceeds goes to local Affiliates to fund community education and treatment assistance programs while 75% of the net proceeds is used by Komen on a national basis to fund research programs and global strategies. But what does that really mean? Here’s some detail to help make this more concrete.

First, let me explain how Komen is structured: There is the national office based in Dallas, which receives funding through national partnerships, individual giving, and national programs like the 3-Day. And, there are also more than 100 Komen local offices called Affiliates, that receive funding through local events like the Race for the Cure, sponsorships, etc.

The funds you raise through the 3-Day (managed by our national office) and the Race for the Cure (managed by our local Affiliates) are unique as both programs have global, national and local impact.

At the end of each 3-Day season we total all of the funds raised on a national level to distribute to the national and local mission. So, the 3-Day’s local proceeds (that 25%) are divided at the end of each season among the 7 host city affiliates, so that 3-Day dollars have a direct impact in 3-Day cities. In most 3-Day cities, there is a single affiliate office, but in Dallas and Michigan, there are several who divide the funds to maximize reach and opportunity in their respective service areas.

Why is this important? Susan G. Komen has funded nearly $889 million in research and nearly $2 billion in community grants. Through this, we have made great strides in decreasing mortality rates from breast cancer, increasing 5 year survival rates, and improving access to screening and treatment for countless women and men. It is this combination – a balance between funding community needs and research priorities – that is so important, and a big reason that 3-Day and Race for the Cure funding is so unique.

In the coming year, a few of our primary mission goals are:

We are focusing major research efforts on metastatic research, primarily what causes the disease to spread from the breast.
- Nearly half of Komen’s funding in 2015 went to metastatic research (23 grants, $16 million)
We are collaborating with other national and international breast cancer organizations to refine goals and minimize redundancy
We are working towards making health resources equally available to all, with a focus on disparities and why the risk of breast cancer is higher amongst African-American women.

Komen President and CEO, Dr. Judy Salerno, said at the Komen Impact Forum in Dallas, “I believe that in a generation we will see more treatments and more cures. You, [our 3-Day community], have been a part of this every step of the way. And we must support you so that we can be successful in achieving this goal.”

We want to make it easier for you to talk with your supporters and donors about Komen’s mission in action. So we’re creating a library of sharable resources on The3Day.org/Komen. The first set is available today: Three infographics talking more about 3-Day funding and our mission in action. (Note: these infographics are in .jpg format below, which you can save to your computer and share on social media. If you would like printable .pdf versions of the infographics, you can find them here.) 3DAY_2016_KomenInfographics_3 3DAY_2016_KomenInfographics_2 3DAY_2016_KomenInfographics_1

Soon, we’ll be sharing more specific details of how each local 3-Day affiliate is putting Komen funds to use in that 3-Day city.

This is just the start of the tools you have told us you need. This will be an on-going project from here forward as your needs change and the 3-Day program begins to grow. As I mentioned in my last blog post, we are forming a 3-Day advisory council (2 participants from each 3-Day city) to help you, the 3-Day family, have a collective voice as we work to meet needs, improve your event experience and grow the 3-Day into the strongest program it can be.

Stay tuned to the blog for more info! Thank you for being you!

– Chrissy Mathews

Congratulations to the 2015 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Award Winners

It was our privilege to celebrate some of our remarkable Susan G. Komen 3-Day® participants with special awards at the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day.

Top Fundraisers

The top crew fundraiser in Dallas/Fort Worth was Kathleen Furman, who raised $4,490. She’s crafty with her fundraisers, designing and making her own buttons, stickers and temporary tattoos. Kathleen has been a part of the Komen 3-Day for ten years, this year’s Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day being her fifteenth event. As a crew member this year, she brought her lifetime fundraising grand total to $47,175.

The top fundraising team in Dallas/Fort Worth was Pink Soles in Motion. As the largest team on the event with 77 members led by captain Catrina Gibson, they raised $134, 468. During their ten years as a team, this group has raised an incredible $1,289,616! Wow!

The top individual fundraiser in Dallas/Fort Worth was Allison Lewis of the Jabber-Walkies team, who raised $21,415 on her own. She’s been friends with two of the women on her team since kindergarten, which makes sense since the team got their distinct name thanks to a grade school P.E. coach who called Allison “Jabberwocky” in the 3^rd grade. In two years and two 3-Day events, Allison has raised a total of $37,540.

Thank you and kudos to our top fundraiser and to the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day community as a whole, who together raised $2.8 million in donations.

Milestone Award

The Milestone Award is given on each 3-Day event to one participant who has an extraordinary history of involvement with the 3-Day. This year, The Milestone Award for Dallas/Fort Worth was presented to Liz Goldman.

Liz first took part in the 3-Day 12 years ago, and this year’s Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day marks her 11th event. Liz’s commitment to the 3-Day is so strong that when Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012 and she was not able to fly out to walk in Dallas, she rearranged everything (flights, family, clean-up efforts at home, etc.) and transferred to the Arizona 3-Day just one week later! In her history with the 3-Day, Liz has raised over $144,622 (she also raised the second highest amount of donations as an individual for the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day this year).

Outside of the 3-Day, Liz uses her skills as a chef and her love of food volunteering at a local soup kitchen. Not only is she altruistic, but she’s downright brave; on a recent trip to Tuscon for a girls’ weekend at the spa, she challenged herself to walk a tightrope! Liz’s husband, a 3-Day crew member, offered more insight into what an outstanding woman Liz is, saying “Liz is special, for she truly will do anything to help anyone, and in a wonderful way. The reality is that Liz has an unending desire to help people, and the strength and wisdom to do so. This runs through both major life events and day-to-day life. This altruism manifests itself for the family and close friends. But it doesn’t end there. She also wants to help many who she doesn’t even know. ”

Thank you, Liz, for your years of enthusiasm and dedication to the 3-Day. It’s our pleasure to honor you.

Local Impact Award

The Local Impact Award is a new award for 2015, and is being presented to a participant in each 3-Day city who has been instrumental in strengthening the 3-Day in their community throughout the year. Local Impact Award honorees are participants who go above and beyond with things like leading training walks, attending local events, supporting the local 3-Day staff year-round at meet-ups and workshops, and in general, making a difference in their 3-Day community by building lasting relationships and showing commitment to the 3-Day in all they do.

We were pleased to honor walker Ralph Morriss with The Local Impact Award at the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day. Over the course of his four years and four 3-Day events, he’s raised a total of $23,327. A fun fact about Ralph: he was voted “Class Favorite” at Lewisville HS in 1954. His friend, Shelley G., shared some of the qualities about Ralph that made him just as lovable then as he is now, “My friend Ralph is the most caring, loving, thoughtful, wonderful person you’ll ever know. He would give you the shirt off his back or definitely some veggies from his garden.” Speaking of veggies, Ralph is an avid gardener who owns a veggie stand on Morriss Road in Flower Mound, so be sure to stop by and try some of his produce! He’ll make sure you know all about the 3-Day while you’re there.

Besides gardening, Ralph enjoys walking and fundraises every day, which is pretty amazing considering all of the time and energy that takes. His friend Tracey M. had some wonderful things to say about this extraordinary man, “I call Ralph Morriss the Energizer Bunny. There is just no stopping him. Ralph tirelessly works year round training and raising funds for the support of Susan G. Komen® and the 3-Day. There are plenty of causes Ralph could put his efforts toward, including diabetes, as Ralph was diagnosed in 2009 with Type 1 Diabetes. Yet he chooses to walk with us, for us! Ralph at 80 years of age is so full of life and love. He is so very thoughtful and selfless. I have to say I have never seen my friend with a frown on his face….except maybe when he fears the donations are slowing! As I fight my personal fight, rarely a day goes by without my receiving a quick text from Ralph to just say “Hello, how ya feeling” and maybe a few words of encouragement or inspiration. When I text him back a “Hello, what’s up my buddy?” He says, “Just the 3 W’s. Working, Walking and Wishing”. I then ask, “What are you wishing for?” He says, “A cure for cancer!” Well, I have a wish as well, I wish for everyone fighting this fight to have someone as special and uplifting in their life. Although I am certain Ralph Morriss is one of a kind! Komen and so many of us are lucky to have him on our side!”

Congratulations and thank you to Ralph for his phenomenal commitment to a world free of breast cancer. And, of course, thank you to the entire Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day family for another unbelievable year!

Congratulations to the 2015 Atlanta 3-Day Award Winners

At the Susan G. Komen Atlanta 3-Day, we were delighted to shine the spotlight on some of our outstanding Komen 3-Day participants with special awards given out in camp.

Top Fundraisers

We recognized the top individual, crew and team fundraisers for the Atlanta 3-Day® in camp on Saturday.

The top crew fundraiser in Atlanta was Pamella Whitham, who was a member of the lunch crew. Pamella, a breast cancer survivor, has been part of the 3-Day for 12 years, with this year’s Atlanta 3-Day being her 12^th event. As a crew member this year, she raised an incredible $8,515; her lifetime fundraising total is $47,175. When she’s not traveling the country for 3-Day events, Pamella is a realtor in Malibu, CA, and lives with her husband Bob who raises Budgies (parakeets).The top fundraising team in Atlanta was Grand Ta Ta’s. On most 3-Day events, the top fundraising team is also the largest team, but in Atlanta, it was quite the opposite. The Grand Ta Ta’s are made up of only five team members and together, they raised $80,400. In their five years as a team, this group has raised an astonishing $503,600. Amazing!

4 of the 5 Grand Ta Ta’s team members at Opening Ceremony in Atlanta

The captain of the Grand Ta Ta’s, Christi-Ann Wiltberger, was also Atlanta’s top individual fundraiser, bringing in $40,000 on her own (fundraising awesomeness must run in the family; Christi-Ann’s sister Jennifer, a Grand Ta Ta’s teammate, was the #3 fundraiser in Atlanta, raising over $20,000).

Our thanks and applause go to all of the wonderful walkers, crew members and supporters who helped bring the Atlanta 3-Day to $2.2 million in total donations.

Milestone Award

Tara, the local coach for the Atlanta 3-Day, joined us on stage on Friday night to recognize the Atlanta 3-Day Milestone Award winner. This award is given on each 3-Day event to one participant who has an extraordinary history of involvement with the 3-Day. The Milestone Award for Atlanta was presented to Shelley Middleton.

Shelley, a 21-year breast cancer survivor, told us that her favorite number is 3 and her favorite color has always been pink, even before her diagnosis, so it seems like she was always destined to be part of the 3-Day family. She first took part in the 3-Day 9 years ago, and this year’s Atlanta 3-Day marks her 9th event. In her history with the 3-Day, Shelley has raised over $69,000.

Shelley and coach Tara

Shelley, a mother of 13-year-old triplets, has quite the team supporting her at home, but is part of a small team of two on the 3-Day. Her sister Susie is her teammate on Nancy’s Angels; the team is named for their mom, who passed 32 years ago. Susie had this to say about her sister: “Shelley is such a fighter and a strong 21-year survivor who gives so many people hope and inspiration to do the same. She asked me to walk the 3-Day ten years ago and we haven’t stopped since. Our little team of two has raised over $150,000 dollars in the ten years. We don’t want another mother, daughter, sister, aunt or friend to be affected by this disease.”

Congratulations, Shelley, and thank you for your years of dedication to the 3-Day community. We are grateful for all you are and all you do.

Local Impact Award

In Atlanta, we were pleased to honor two participants with the Local Impact Award: husband and wife Charles and Renee McCollum. Charles and Renee have been part of the 3-Day for 5 years and 5 events, Charles as a crew member and Renee as a walker. As part of team Badges for Boobies, the couple has raised a combined total of over $16,000.

In preparing to present these two 3-Dayers with the award, we tricked them a little bit and told each individual that the award was going to their spouse. That way, we were able to get thoughts from each of them about their partner. Sneaky? Maybe a little, but worth it. Charles shared this about his wife: “Renee is always trying to recruit new walkers and will take time to explain everything about the 3-Day. She arranges training walks that will fit others’ schedules just so that they can get ready for the event. She can meet a stranger and make them feel like she has known them for years right away. She has been the force behind me getting my health back together after my heart attack in 2013. She makes sure I eat right and I cannot begin to thank her enough for her support and love. She has been my inspiration and I would not be where I am in my life without her as my wife and best friend!”

So sweet! Renee’s thoughts about her husband are just as lovely: “Charles has such a heart for the 3-Day and all those involved, especially ‘his’ walkers. He absolutely lives for the privilege of being there every morning to hug the walkers when they head out and let them know he will personally be there when they get back. He is moved to tears at merely discussing his connection with many of the walkers, especially the elderly or physically fragile ones who he gets to literally carry off the sweep vans. He has made a special connection each of our 4 previous years with at least one particular walker who struggled to make it and just hugged and cried with them when they crossed the finish line each day! I almost make it a joke during our training walks and have someone ask him about his “hug buddies.” He tries to tell one of the stories and just starts crying…he can’t do it. It is the most special thing to see MY MAN have that kind of heart!”

Join us in congratulating and thanking Charles and Renee for their extraordinary commitment to the Atlanta 3-Day community. And thanks, as always, to the entire Atlanta 3-Day family for another spectacular year.