2022 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Recap

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day returned to Dallas/Fort Worth this past weekend. With a total of 725 walkers, 225 crew members and $2.2 million raised, it was a weekend to remember!

Day 1

The lobby of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas, Texas was filled with excitement in the early hours of Friday, November 4 as walkers and crew waited for the ballroom doors to open. Once the clock struck 6:30 a.m., the venue for Opening Ceremony opened and the magic of the Pink Bubble began. Tables filled with lanyards, pins and bibs to write who you walk for were available for participants to gather and share why they commit to the 3-Day, including. the Promise Flag, which participants write on in dedication to those we have lost to breast cancer.

As the Opening Ceremony started, we stretched in preparation for walking 20 miles on Day 1, we heard inspiring and heart-felt stories that reminded us of the importance of this cause, and recognized our survivors and those living with breast cancer. Promptly at 8 a.m., the route opened and walkers were released in groups onto the streets of Dallas to start their 3-Day journey.

Our first stop of the day was at Turtle Creek Park, where walkers were welcomed to pit stop 1, “Boxing Out Cancer.” This pit stop not only offered fuel for our walkers, but also beautiful views of the downtown Dallas skyline. With three miles down, walkers then continued on the route.

Pit Stop 2 was at Craddock Park, and the entrance was lined with the first cheering station of the day. The amount of support, clapping and words of encouragement was amazing! Walkers stopped to take pictures and grabbed snacks and hydration before continuing on.

As much as we crossed our fingers and hoped for the weather to cooperate, rain started to come down late in the morning. Walkers arrived at lunch at Highland Park Presbyterian Church and were handed a bag lunch before boarding busses to head back to the Hyatt Regency so they could end their day safely.

Although our route was cut in half, we made up for it by having so much fun at camp! The Youth Corps cheered and had a dance party to welcome in our walkers for the day, and once camp opened at 1 p.m., soft pretzels were served in the dining area. Walkers also took this opportunity to take pictures in front of the Day 1 photo-op.

We proceeded with our Friday night programming, playing our favorite minute-to-win-it games like junk in the trunk, cup stack and cookie face. We also heard some very talented voices among our participants during karaoke before calling it a night and getting some rest to welcome beautiful weather on Day 2!

Day 2

Day 2 kicked off with our Bank of America Breakfast of Champions, celebrating and thanking all of our top fundraisers, from individuals to teams, for their incredible efforts! After breakfast, walkers were eager to catch the bus to travel to Fort Worth for the day’s route. As a sea of pink headed west, we were welcomed into Fort Worth with a sky clear of clouds and full of sun! It was a welcome change from the previous day.

After cruising through pit stop 1 at Haynes Memorial Triangle, walkers were surprised and delighted to be transported to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory at pit stop 2! Willy Wonka and his cast of characters, including Charlie Bucket, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt, Grandpa Joe and of course the Oompa Loompas, all posed for pictures and cheered walkers on as they made their way to lunch.

Walkers then crossed under the halfway arch at W.C. Striplings Middle School where they basked in the sun and performed the beloved halfway dance to “Walking on Sunshine!”

After lunch, the sun continued to shine, birds chirped and cheers were heard as walkers made their way through pit stop 3 before walking through beautiful Trinity Park. Here, walkers passed through our Memorial Mile where we honor those who have lost their battle with breast cancer. It was an emotional and beautiful reminder of why we walk.

At the end of the day, tired, but happy, walkers loaded buses back to the hotel where the famous 3-Day mac and cheese was plentiful and 3-Day Main Street was ready for business. We began our Honor Ceremony with stories from our Dallas/Fort Worth Youth Corps. The room was quiet as each member shared their connection to breast cancer and why they commit to the 3-Day. We then heard from three Dallas/Fort Worth walkers who also graciously shared their stories with us and how the 3-Day has impacted themselves and their loved ones.

Day 3

Excitement was in the air as walkers ate breakfast and fueled up for their final day exploring Dallas. Walkers lined up behind Melissa W. and her husband, John, who won the Dallas/Fort Worth Ultimate 3-Day Experience challenge, which rewarded them with a first-out-on-the route pass when it opened at 7 a.m.

It was another beautiful, sunny day as walkers explored the streets of downtown Dallas, traveling on and off the Santa Fe Trail with beautiful views.

The photo-ops continued as walkers reached pit stop 2, which had these amazing decorated bras strung between the trees.

As walkers departed, they adventured towards lunch at Tokalon Park, right next to White Rock Lake. Tokalon Park boasted a beautiful grassy hillside for walkers to sit down, relax and enjoy their final lunch of their 3-Day journey.

Leaving lunch, walkers ventured into the Swiss Avenue neighborhood before reaching Dallas’ Main Street Garden Park. Look at that skyline!

The Finish Line Festival did not disappoint, as walkers were cheered on and welcomed by the University of Texas at Arlington cheerleaders, a group of cowboys and our wonderful crew.

The Jordan Kahn orchestra played live music to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our walkers and crew, and the horn section even came out into the crowd, dancing to the cupid shuffle and conga line with our walkers. This was such a treat ? everybody loved it!

Our last walker crossed the finish line around 3:30 p.m. and raised the flag to begin our Closing Ceremony.

We raised our shoes to salute our survivors as they made their way to the front of the stage, and raised our commit flags as we promised to not give up until we find the cures to breast cancer.

Thank you to the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth and thank you to our Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day walkers, crew and volunteers. We had an amazing and memorable weekend, and hope we’ll see you again in 2023. Registration is now open at The3Day.org.

2019 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Event Wrap-Up

This past weekend, the 3-Day headed to Dallas/Fort Worth, the home of Susan G. Komen! We had three sunny fall days of fun, and all our walkers and crew were smiling from ear to ear when they crossed the finish line after 60 miles.

Our journey began at the Opening Ceremony at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star. For the second year in a row, we were so excited to start our walk at this iconic Dallas landmark. Walkers, crew and supporters alike all loved posing on The Star, seeing photos projected on the jumbo screen behind our stage, and watching the sun rise to start our 3-Day.

The Opening Ceremony itself featured a welcome from our partner Bank of America, as well as emotional stories from local participants who talked about why they commit 3 days. Then, our breast cancer survivors and those living with breast cancer led our walkers out into the morning sunshine with arms raised and smiles wide.

The first few miles of the walk were packed full of photo ops and smiles! Walkers made their way down Star Boulevard before passing through the much-loved beautiful Hall Park and Dr Pepper Ballpark, home field of the Frisco RoughRiders. It was a chilly fall morning, but our walkers stepped into the sunshine together. They also passed Bank of America headquarters, where hundreds of cheering supporters were waiting to show the 3-Day some love. And all this before pit stop 2!

During lunch at Timberglen Park, we met the inspiring Dallas/Fort Worth Youth Corps! They were a source of smiles and fun all weekend long. ? Then, it was on to the second half of the day! We walked through Carrollton and Addison before arriving back home to our camp at Brookhaven College in Farmer’s Branch.

Though it was a chilly night outside, our walkers opted to snuggle up and camp in the pink tents they knew and loved. After a fun night of BINGO and dancing, not to mention taking on 21.7 miles during Day One, our walkers all slept soundly under the fall night sky.

Day Two included some changes to our route due to the recent tornado in North Dallas, but our walkers and crew all adjusted in order to support the amazing local communities. We are honored by their resilience, and our fantastic local team was able to put together an updated route that was still chock full of fun and enthusiasm.

Saturday began with a short bus ride to the Continental Bridge Gateway Plaza to cross the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. The views of the downtown Dallas skyline were perfect, just as the sun rose on another wonderful day ahead. From there, we walked through downtown Dallas, passing iconic spots like The Grassy Knoll, Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza.

We then gathered together for our Halfway Celebration, complete with everyone’s new favorite flash mob dance! Mark and the Youth Corps got everyone moving and grooving under the Texan sun!

We then made our way through relaxing patches of nature including Cole, Curtis and Glencoe Parks. From there, walkers returned to Brookhaven College for our emotional Honor Ceremony. This heartfelt and uplifting end to our day left all the participants inspired to take on Day Three with renewed passion.

Daylight Saving Time gave everyone an extra hour of sleep, so we arrived bright eyed to our morning bus ride to Allen, Texas. We spent the majority of the morning in Allen and McKinney, where there was plenty of community support and cheering stations. By lunch in Harold Bacchus Community Park, walkers and crew members were all taking in the sunshine and having fun as one big family.

As we closed out our Sunday, we walked through a different part of Frisco than we have in the past, so the views were all new and exciting. It was the perfect, exciting end to our weekend journey.

The Finish Area Festival was back at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star, where our final walker of the weekend kicked off our Closing Ceremony! We were thrilled to announce that our 550 amazing Dallas/Fort Worth walkers and 175 fantastic crew members had raised a staggering $1.5 million in the fight against breast cancer! Thank you, Dallas/Fort Worth!

Congratulations to the 2019 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Local Impact Award Winner, Mary Tengra

For the 2019 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season, we’re pleased to be continuing the Local Impact Award. This award is being given to participants who have been instrumental in strengthening the 3-Day® community throughout the year. Local Impact Award honorees have gone above and beyond in their efforts leading training walks, attending 3-Day community events, supporting the 3-Day staff year-round at meet-ups and workshops, and in general, making a difference by building lasting relationships and showing commitment to the 3-Day in all they do.

Please join us in congratulating the 2019 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Local Impact Award Winner, Mary Tengra!

Mary’s teammates can’t say enough good things about her! They raved, “When someone asks Mary how much further, she will always say, “7 more minutes” – no matter how much further. When asked how far the training walk will be, she’ll also always estimates with “-ish” after the mileage (like “12-ish miles”).

She works hard to find fundraising opportunities for the team, always encourages single walkers to join her team and is literally available for her teammates, no matter what they need. What you see is what you get with Mary and that’s why we love her.”

And we love her too! That’s why we had to hear about Mary’s 3-Day in her own words! When she answered these questions, Mary didn’t yet know she’d be our Local Impact Award Winner…

What was your inspiration to do your first 3-Day?

Of course, to find a cure, but also to meet new people! To have a purpose since my children had all left the nest and we had moved to a new house.

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

Friends – the joy of walking – and being outside!

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

I am lucky in the fundraising department: I married a rich man haha ?

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

Train with a group, it’s much more fun! You will make lasting friendships.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I don’t have hidden talents – but I will tell you I enjoy sitting on the couch eating French fries and watching TV after a long walk!

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

Dress in light layers for cool weather. You don’t want to carry extra clothes for 20 miles. But, with that said, wearing something decorative is a lot of fun. I wear yellow on Sunday at the 3-Day!