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!

Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Route Preview

Lone Star State, we are coming for you! We are so excited to be heading to Dallas/Fort Worth next weekend. We know that Susan G. Komen’s home city is going to be out in full force to support us for this 60-mile walk. Event Planner Eileen Barnick has been preparing all year to make this coming weekend the best 3-Day possible, and she can’t wait to share the route and some new updates with all our participants.

We will begin at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star, home of the Dallas Cowboy Headquarters, for the second year and Eileen says everyone should be pumped for a “high-energy celebration” to start our Friday!

“There will be a lot of oomph! It’s such an exciting place to show off the 3-Day spirit.”

After that, the excitement continues as the first five miles have SO much! It’s a great kick-off to the weekend that includes a walk down Star Boulevard (the Star’s entertainment district) towards the Football Huddle sculpture. Once we leave The Star the walkers will enter the beautiful Hall Park, Frisco’s office park, home to many land and water sculptures. Photo ops will abound! From there, we are on to Frisco Central Park where you can take pictures with the bronze cowboys and a herd of stampeding cattle.

Eileen is also pumped to be able to walk through the Dr Pepper Ballpark, home field of the local Frisco RoughRiders, again this year. They’ll be pumping music and really getting the walkers excited. It’s a really fun atmosphere and the whole Dallas/Fort Worth local team is so happy to be able to return there again.

Other Day One highlights include Plano and the corporate headquarters of many large companies including Bank of America, as well as a beautiful trail walk through Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano. We will have a leisurely lunch at Timberglen Park in Dallas and visit the beautiful suburbs of Carrollton and Addison on our way back to camp at Brookhaven College. So much, all in the first day!

Eileen notes that Friday is the longest day, but it’s still the same length as it was last year. Saturday and Sunday are shorter so walkers get the longest day over first, and Eileen promises that even though it’s long, Friday will be loads of fun.

“There’s nothing not to love about Day One. We didn’t change any of the route because people loved it so much. We can’t wait!”

And then comes Day Two, which has large parts of brand-new route. Saturday starts with a short bus ride to Trinity Groves at the Ronald Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. As walkers cross the bridge, they will enjoy beautiful morning views of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and downtown Dallas. The pedestrian bridge also has all kinds of fun details and games you can play as you cross. Just make sure to stop and take in the lovely skyline views!

From the bridge we will head into downtown past many famous landmarks, including The Grassy Knoll, Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza. These are such important, iconic parts of Dallas history.

Walkers will continue to enjoy their morning on the popular and picturesque Katy Trail, as they head towards the beautiful towns of Highland and University Parks. These two historic towns feature some of the most beautiful scenery and architecture of the weekend. From the gorgeous homes to the relaxing parks, our walkers will really enjoy this section of the route.

We have a new lunch spot for our halfway celebration at Curtis Park in University Park, and after lunch we will wind through the neighborhoods and business districts of Dallas as we reach the City of Farmers Branch and a fun evening at camp at Brookhaven College.

Eileen says, “We’re spicing up what people have come to expect from Day Two! It’s an extra punch of fun in the weekend!”

Day Three is also brand new and will introduce walkers to two suburbs we’ve never walked in before: Allen and McKinney.

“We will be able to enjoy the trail systems there,” Eileen enthuses. “We always get requests for more time on the trails, and we really tried to accommodate that request for this year.”

The day begins with another short bus ride to Allen at Watters Creek. Through Allen, walkers will be treated to both beautiful neighborhoods and relaxing trails.

Having two bus rides in the weekend allows us to have a different Day Three route from Day One, even though we are ending where we began, back at the Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star.

As we return to the Star, we will walk through a different part of Frisco than we walked in on Friday morning so the views will be all new and exciting.

Then we will end with a bang at Tostitos Championship Plaza at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star! Eileen is especially excited about this new location for our Finish Line Festival and Closing Ceremony.

“Since we will be walking through Cowboys country on Sunday during football season, there will be a lot of people in the area and it will be a nice large welcome! We expect to have a lot of community support around there!”

Overall, Eileen says everyone will have a lot to look forward to next weekend.

“Three very amazing days await! We are so excited to show new parts of the Dallas/Fort Worth area and be able to add more trails to the walk as well. I can’t wait for everyone to see it!”

We’ll see you all soon!

A Note About Saturday’s Route

Due to the recent tornadoes in the North Dallas area, we are making changes to the second half of Saturday’s route and do not have the route cards to share with you just yet. We will give you a route card at the Opening Ceremony with the latest route information and the map of your journey will be updated as soon as possible. Please be flexible with staff, crew and city jurisdictions and understand these changes are being made for the safety of our participants as well as out of respect for the communities where homes, businesses and property have been destroyed.

2017 Susan G. Komen Dallas/Fort Worth Route Preview

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Our Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day is just a week away and boy is the Lone Star State ready for our 3-Dayers! As you all pack, make last minute preparations, and take your final training walks, we have a preview of the route to get you even more excited for your upcoming 60-mile journey.

The 3-Day begins at the Colin Creek Mall in Plano, TX and walks much of the same route as in past years.

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Be sure to look out for a very special group of cheerleaders after pit stop 1 on Friday.

Coach Gayla promises that we will be walking by Aldridge Elementary School students first thing in the morning. “The students are SO excited to see us!” That, combined with the cheering station at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, will keep you going strong on to lunch.

In the afternoon, Cottonwood and Anderson Bonner Parks will provide nice shade, and lots of beautiful photo ops. Then the day will end at our camp at Brookhaven College, which has been our camp spot for the last few years.

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Coach Gayla says, “We love this location! It’s such a great outdoor space, so we are talking to Mother Nature about giving us good weather to sleep under the stars.”

After a nice rest, our walkers will take on Day 2, which has some new sights this year. After pit stop 1, we will be going back over the Big Blue Bridge in Addison. We took this route a few years ago, and have it back on our route this year because it provides a great photo opportunity!

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After lunch, we will be walking through Dallas and Addison, throughout Addison Circle and Vitruvian Parks. There will be a special public cheering station in Vitruvian Park, right before we enter camp, and Coach Gayla says this is her favorite part of the day.

The day doesn’t end once you enter camp though! Remember to stay for our fun camp dance party from 5:30 – 8:30 pm! Friends and family are welcome!

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The Jordan Kahn Music Company is bringing the Manhattan Party Band to our camp! Manhattan features the best musicians and performers from all over Texas, and they will be jamming to dance hits from a variety genres and decades…from Motown to the hits of today! It will be a not-to-miss night!

Then we will kick off Day Three, which has some new sights and spots along the route. It is also a little bit of a shorter Sunday walk this year, which our walkers will appreciate!

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In downtown Dallas, we will visit Main Street, with some local businesses who are very excited to be cheering on the walkers as they pass.

“We will also pass a bunch of parks on Main Street, so there will be a new look and lots of fun cheering stations along that part of Day Three!” Coach Gayla enthuses.

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The Closing Ceremony is also in a new spot on The Lawn at Reunion Tower, which will be lit up pink just for us! Participants and supporters can go up to the top of the tower either before or after the ceremony for a great city view.

“It’s the iconic, downtown Dallas area,” says Coach Gayla. “The participant finish area is a big, beautiful park area that’s also very comfortable for our walkers!”