This past weekend, the 3-Day headed to Dallas/Fort Worth, and the home of Susan G. Komen did not disappoint! We had three sunny fall days, and even with one rainy evening, all our walkers and crew were smiling from ear to ear when they took their final Victory Walk after 60 miles.
Our journey began at a new Opening Ceremony site at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star. This is Dallas Cowboys Headquarters, so to say it’s an iconic Dallas/Fort Worth landmark is an understatement. Walkers, crew and supporters alike all loved posing on the star and seeing photos from past Dallas/Fort-Worth 3-Days projected on the jumbo screen behind our stage.
The Opening Ceremony itself featured special speeches from our partner Bank of America, as well as an emotional testimony from Susan G. Komen CEO, Paula Schneider. She led our Circle of Strength out from the Opening Ceremony, kicking off our 60-mile journey.
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 town of Frisco, with the town coming out in full force to cheer them on! 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!
Later in the day, the RoughRiders cheered on walkers outside Dr Pepper Ballpark and we explored Arbor Hills Nature Preserve before arriving home at camp at Brookhaven College. All in all, walkers got a real taste of the Texas spirit on Day One.
At camp, Paula Schneider congratulated our walkers during the Camp Show, and Bank of America awarded the Top Fundraisers of the Dallas/Fort-Worth 3-Day.
Team STEPS was our Top Fundraising Team and is also our largest team on the 3-Day, raising $180,167 this year. They were led by team captain Sheryl Cowan, who was our Top Individual Fundraiser. She raised $30,000 on her own this year and has raised more than $100K in her history with the 3-Day. Sandra Johnson, our Top Crew Fundraiser, raised $3,835 at this, her 17th event! Congrats to all our top fundraisers!
Day Two dawned as the perfect crisp fall day, and the walkers stopped at one of our favorite parks, Les Lacs Park in Addison, for Pit Stop 1. Day Two was shorter overall, which our walkers loved, but we still managed to see Addison Circle Park, Vitruvian Park, and the cities of Farmers Branch and Addison. It was a windy day, so all our participants were happy to return to camp after a fun day!
Night Two was stormy, and we even had a camp relocation, but the quick-acting staff and crew helped everyone relocate indoors so they could be warm and dry for the night. All our 3-Dayers met the weather with smiles and laughs and teamwork so they could get as much rest as possible for Day Three.
Day Three looked very similar to past years because it was a favorite of our walkers. We started the day with a short bus ride to the Walnut Hill Recreation Center. We then walked into Dallas through some gorgeous historic neighborhoods, full of awesome architecture and beautiful homes. We spent the day in the city of Dallas, passing iconic sites like Dealey Plaza, the Giant Eyeball sculpture (great for photos!), the Omni and more. It was the perfect final day!
The Participant Finish Area and the Closing Ceremony were both at The Lawn at Reunion Tower, where we were happy to announce that our amazing Dallas/Fort-Worth walkers and crew had raised a staggering $1.7 million in the fight against breast cancer! Thank you, Dallas/Fort-Worth…you are truly More Than Pink!
Day Three on Sunday, we have left untouched and have made no real changes because we have had such positive feedback from walkers from last year.