14 Things We Love About the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the 14 things we love about the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® are…

The Pink Bubble

We love the Pink Bubble! There’s nothing quite like it; the love that it brings, the joy that it radiates, and the impact it makes is unlike anything else. The Pink Bubble is more than just a group of people dedicated to ending breast cancer, it is a true testament of the impact of unity and an example of how we should all show up in our daily lives. The Pink Bubble is love.

Advancing Research

We love that there has been a 43% decline in the breast cancer death rate since Komen’s founding in 1982. We love our leading research programs which amplify patient voices so that everyone is heard as we continue to investigate this disease. Our efforts have contributed to 2,800 research grants in 47 states, the District of Columbia and 24 countries. There have been 550 clinical trials and we’ve researched breast cancer disparities & inequalities, hereditary, triple negative and metastatic breast cancer, vaccines & immunotherapy, and more. We love that we will never give up.

Providing Treatment and Support

We love that we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk (literally). The dollars that we raise at the Komen 3-Day contribute to helping people battling breast cancer. The Komen patient care center offers free, personalized support to patients, caregivers and family members, including education, emotional support, financial assistance, help accessing care and more.

Honoring our Loved Ones

We love being able to honor survivors, thrivers, and those who have lost their lives to this wretched disease. Between the Honor Ceremony, the Remembrance Tent, and hearing one another’s stories, the 3-Day® is an opportunity to stand together and honor the fighters in our lives.

Advocating for Health Equity

We love advocating for health equity and taking strides toward a future where everyone receives the care they deserve. Everyone is at risk of breast cancer, but some of us are at higher risk than others. That’s why Komen is working to eliminate barriers to care for individuals and communities experiencing breast health inequities now and in the future.

Exploring Fun Cities

We love everywhere the 3-Day takes us! Exploring the rich history of New England, the scenic views of Denver, the cowboy culture of Dallas/Fort Worth, and the coastline of San Diego while creating a better future is the ultimate girl’s weekend. There’s so much to see wherever the 3-Day takes us.

Pit Stops

We love everything about pit stops! We’re talking fun themes and decorations, delicious snacks, kind crew, refreshments to keep us hydrated, and porta potties galore. Pit stops are crucial to an immersive and safe 3-Day experience.

Fun Outfits

We love all the outfits at the 3-Day! From team shirts and exciting costumes to pink nails and memorial pins, it is always fun to see what everyone wears to the 3-Day. The community is so creative and finds exactly what works for them!

Sweep Vans

We love a sweep van! Sweep vans make sure that we all complete the 60 miles, even if a few are spent in the back seat of a themed vehicle rather than on our feet. Sometimes we need a bit of assistance and sweep vans make it fun!

Bank of America Massage Chairs

After 20 miles of walking, we love a massage chair more than we’ve ever loved anything else. Our incredible national presenting sponsor, Bank of America, gives us fuzzy slippers and some much-needed pampering after a day spent on our feet.

Mac & Cheese

We love 3-Day mac & cheese. Nothing more needs to be said.

Our Sponsors

We love our sponsors! Bank of America, XPO, Mohawk, Nature’s Bounty, Walgreens, READY, and Expedia are crucial to making the 3-Day the incredible experience that it is. We love knowing that our sponsors cheer us on along the way and are committed to ending breast cancer alongside us.

Cheering Stations

We love cheering stations! Seeing a group of people there to support the walkers takes our minds off our blisters for a moment and reminds us to keep going. They keep the energy up along the route and inspire us to walk one step at a time.

YOU!?

Whether you walk, crew, volunteer, cheer, or donate, you are the backbone of the 3-Day and you are so loved. Without you, the progress we’ve made to ending breast cancer wouldn’t be possible. You raise the funds, you walk the miles, you bring the Pink Bubble spirit, and you change the lives of countless men and women. You are the 3-Day and we love you for all that you are and all that you do.

Congratulations to our Top Fundraisers from the 2023 San Diego 3-Day!

The 2023 Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day boasted 1,500 walkers and 300 crew members who raised $5.3 million in the fight against breast cancer. To wrap up Day 1, our top fundraisers were recognized Friday evening at the Bank of America Celebration of Champions. This year, Bank of America is celebrating the accomplishments of our 3-Dayers by donating a collective $42,000 to the top fundraisers to jump start their 2024 fundraising efforts. Join us in congratulating these teams and individuals for their incredible achievements and contributions!

We kicked off the celebration by recognizing our incredible crew members who collectively raised $121,469 for the final 3-Day of 2023! From Event Support, our Top Individual Crew Fundraiser, Martin H., was honored for the $10,000 he raised this year at his 26^th event, which brings his total lifetime contribution to $85,295. Speaking of crew, our Top Crew Fundraising Team, Sweep & Shuttle, raised $28,780 amongst 37 members captained by Shirley H., Bridget H., and Laurie H.!

Amongst the 300 crew members were 30 Youth Corps who came together to raise over $30,000! Siblings Shaun and Jack S. tied as our Top Youth Corps Fundraisers who each raised $5,202. They will both be receiving a customized Hydro Flask courtesy of Bank of America which they can use with pride. We are so grateful for and proud of our Youth Corps who continually remind us of the future we fundraise to improve.

Our Rookie of the Year, Jennie S., raised $30,539 for her first ever 3-Day! The crowd applauded her incredible contributions as Bank of America’s very own Maegan Young delivered a $500 donation to kick off her 2024 fundraising. We hope that Jennie’s first time in the Pink Bubble was everything she thought it would be and more.

We then went on to honor our Top Individual Fundraiser, Stephanie C., who raised $64,789! A member of the team Tulips for Tatas, Stephanie has raised over $339,000 in her fourteen years as a participant in fifteen events. Beatrice B., a 1-Day walker and first-time participant raised $6,924 making her our Top Fundraising 1-Day Walker. Thank you for your commitment to the breast cancer cause!

Ta-Ta’s from KC was then awarded our Small but Mighty Team award after their nine-person team raised a whopping $82,972, demonstrating that anything is possible with enough perseverance. Team Captain Lindsey B. was awarded a $500 donation and her fellow teammates received $60 to kick-start their 2024 fundraising. They were also our third highest fundraising team overall, followed by Hands Up for Hooters at number two who raised $129,410 amongst their 86 team members, making them the largest team at the San Diego 3-Day!

Ringing in as the Top Fundraising Team, Powered by Optimism was recognized for the $142,350 that all 54 members came together to raise. Team Captain Lisa P. humbly accepted her $500 donation from Bank of America and her teammates were each awarded $60 toward their 2024 fundraising. In their thirteen years as a team, Powered by Optimism has raised more than $2.6 million to help find the cures for breast cancer. Thank you to all of our teams!

Whatever your own fundraising goals for the 2023 San Diego 3-Day, the work that you do and the funds that you raise are ever important. We are so grateful to every single one of you for making the San Diego 3-Day so memorable and impactful. On behalf of Bank of America and Susan G. Komen, thank you for all that you do to help fight breast cancer!

Debby R. is the 2023 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Milestone Award Winner!

After 10 years and 26 3-Days, Debby R. has raised a lifetime total of more than $65,000 to help find the cures to breast cancer. Affectionately known as Mama Bear by her team Angels for the Cure, Debby is one of the most creative fundraisers that the Pink Bubble has ever seen. Her beloved teammate Bill W. shared that “It does not matter if you are on another team, you can train or fundraise with Angels for a Cure!” She fundraises with car washes, Sonic car hopping, Dippin’ Dots, Muddin’, Rednecks with Paychecks and beyond, always coming up with fun ways to help everyone achieve their fundraising goals. “I was always in awe and sometimes jealous of the ideas and ways she came up with to raise money… she is there to win this fight and to help anyone who needs help to get their money raised,” boasted her friends Donna W. and Sharon R.

Get to know Debby a bit better as we honor her as our 2023 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Milestone Award Winner!

What was your inspiration to participate in your first 3-Day???

My mom was first diagnosed [with breast cancer] in 2002 and started her treatments in 2003. I heard radio advertisements about the 3-Day for a couple of years, but I was first scared away in 2005 when the Dallas/Fort Worth event was in June and I had a 6-month-old. Then in 2006, I was scared away because I was intimidated by the fundraising goal. At the beginning of 2007, my mom sent me an email (an email, really???) to let me know her cancer was back and had metastasized to her lungs. I knew then I couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore, so I went to an info meeting and signed up for my very first event!

What has brought you back to the 3-Day year after year?

Like so many others before and more to come, I was terrified that first year that I wouldn’t be able to walk all 60 miles. I waited until the last minute before making the decision to sign up again, but being in the Pink Bubble for three days, meeting new friends and hearing their stories, passing through the cheer stations, getting hugs from a stranger as a thanks for helping to save his wife’s life, how could anyone walk away from all of this? The first walk was for my mom, but every walk afterwards has been for my future, my daughter, my nieces, my sisters, my friends, my Pink Bubble family, and for the next person diagnosed, to give a glimmer of hope for a future.

What is the secret to your 3-Day fundraising success?

I come up with a lot of ideas and sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. I just keep trying and stick with what works well for me and my team.

What is your best advice to anyone walking the 3-Day?

Train and fundraise with a team. It could be your team or join an existing one, but when you train and fundraise with others, it’s a better experience.

What’s a fun fact about you?

One time at band camp… yes, I was in band. I was on the flag corps and drill team while in high school for football and concert season. I played the auxiliary percussion instruments (cymbals, bass drum, triangle, bells, xylophone) because I could count and couldn’t read music… LOL

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned on the 3-Day?

You are never alone on the 3-Day. We are all on the same team to eradicate breast cancer.