Tag Archives: Komen 3-Day®

Cynthia S. Recounts her Battle with Breast Cancer and First Time at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® 

By Cynthia S., 3-Day Walker 

I had always taken my breast health seriously. On my father’s side of the family my great grandmother, grandmother and great aunt were all diagnosed with breast cancer in their fifties. Mammograms started yearly at age forty for me. I realized the importance of these screenings as I was called back at different times for more images to be taken to ensure all was clear. This was comforting to me as I knew mammograms worked and I was being checked over carefully for anything that could look suspicious. 

One year after the extra images were taken it came to be known that I had atypical cells that needed to be removed through surgery as they could potentially turn into cancer cells. I continued to follow through diligently every year with my mammogram hopeful that I would continue to get that letter in the mail that everything looks good and no abnormalities. 

In July of 2011, I received a call that I needed to go in for a biopsy. Then after a few days of anxious waiting I was told that I had breast cancer. I still remember the words ringing in my ears as I was listening to my trusted gynecologist on the other end of the line. Soon after that day we were on our family vacation at the lake with our three young daughters and both sets of our parents. My husband and I would go into town each day because of the limited cell service and make several phone calls to make sure I had all the necessary appointments in line for when we returned home. It was not until after we knew exactly what the prognosis was that we explained what was going on to our children.

I was diagnosed with invasive ducal carcinoma of the left breast. My oncologist recommended I get the BRCA gene test urgently because of my family history and having three daughters. He also recommended a new cutting-edge test at that time called Oncotype DX to determine my treatment plan after surgery. In the end those tests suggested the most effective path for my treatment, two surgeries, and a lumpectomy. My treatment plan included six weeks of radiation, oral medication for five years, and six infusion treatments of Zometa for the strengthening of my bones.

During this challenging time, I felt so much support and love from my family, friends, and community. I had a friend tell me, “The good thing that will come out of this difficult experience is the outpouring of those who want to help and be there for you in any way they can.” She continued with, “There will be people you may not even know, but they will come, and your life will be different because of their kindness and encouraging words.”

This past September, I participated in the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day with two of my three daughters, Lauren and Bella. My youngest, Sophia, is still in college and cheered us on as we trained and prepared for the special weekend. I had been wanting to participate in the Komen 3-Day and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity as the stars aligned to join the Pink Bubble for the weekend to raise money, share experiences, and meet new friends and support each other. My middle daughter, Bella, spoke at the event as a co-survivor, which brought tears to my heart. Looking back, you are very scared as an adult, but in a child’s eyes nothing is scarier than the unknown and having a mom with cancer. She and her sister connected with the other co-survivors that weekend which was comforting in so many ways for them.

It’s hard to describe the special weekend in the Pink Bubble as you have so many emotions. You laugh, cry, give hugs and smiles, you learn of other people’s stories and the importance of this community of people coming together for a special cause. My girls and I were honored to be there amongst such strong warriors. As you walk the route you are taken by the hand the hand the whole way by either a car driving by honking [and cheering] “Let’s go!” or several of the volunteers meeting you at each stop dressed in fun pink attire. At times we were even greeted by complete strangers that want to encourage you and give you candy or fun tattoos! We really enjoyed the photo opportunities along the way! Super fun and such a great memory! This is an experience like no other and we are all doing it together for the fight to end breast cancer!

Fundraising Tips Straight from the Top

Fundraising is a vital part of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® that sometimes involves a whirlwind of emotions. It can be daunting to set goals, determine how to start, what methods to use, or even who to ask. To help you out, we’ve teamed up with some of our Top Fundraisers from 2023 to share all the wisdom that’s boosted them straight to the top of the leaderboards. From simple emails to elaborate golf outings, these trailblazers share the methods that have propelled them to the summit of fundraising excellence. They’ll spill the beans on what works best for them and reveal their tips and tricks to help you achieve your fundraising goals this year. 

Laura P.: Top Fundraiser ? New England: $50,000+ 

For the past three years, Laura has been walking the Komen 3-Day in honor of her mom and best friend who have both battled breast cancer. Determined to prevent herself and her nieces from having to combat this tremendous disease, she takes fundraising very seriously. She raises most of her money through word of mouth, Facebook, and email, including updating the signature on her work email to include the link to her fundraising page. Laura acknowledges that fundraising can seem formidable, but notes that, from her experience, many people want to donate, especially when someone they know is doing something big like the 3-Day®.  

“Tell everyone what you are doing, don’t be shy. When I send out the email, I include all the people who previously donated, all my friends, some co-workers, and I have included my parents’ friends too. I have been amazed at how many people have been touched by breast cancer or support me due to my mother.” Laura also emphasizes the value of reminder emails and asking people about their company’s matching gift policy. Her brother’s company does a double match one day a year, so he always donates on that day, and a friend of hers works at a company that always does a double match. “It is amazing when you can turn a $50 donation into $150 or $100 into $300.” 

She also emphasizes the importance of sending out thank you notes to everyone who donated. After the walk, she sends a card with pictures from the walk as a wonderful way of including her donors in the Pink Bubble. Laura looks forward to walking again in the 2024 Denver 3-Day as a 1-Day walker. “Breast cancer has had such a negative impact on my life, but Susan G. Komen® has had such a positive impact. I feel as if I can make a difference, because of Komen.” 

Cynthia S.: Top Fundraiser – Chicago: $36,000+ 

As a breast cancer survivor and first-time walker, Cynthia kicked off her 3-Day journey with a goal of raising $10,000 to help find the cures for breast cancer. However, her fundraising efforts took her to unexpected levels as she and her two daughters collectively raised $43,000. Her approach included sending letters, emails and text messages to friends, family, and business acquaintances. She happily shared her story and explained the 3-Day to anyone who asked for more information on the cause. Upon receiving donations, Cynthia sent out a handwritten thank you letter to each donor to let them know how much she appreciated their support in continuing the fight to end breast cancer. Whenever she hit a milestone or was close to achieving a goal, Cynthia’s husband encouraged her to push further and reach out to more acquaintances who she had not initially contacted. In fact, Cynthia and her husband increased her goal 4 or 5 times before settling at $36,000.  

Prior to this effort, Cynthia had never fundraised for any organization. In fact, at the start she was shy about asking friends and family for donations. “I found that sending emails and text messages after I verbally let people know I was walking 60 miles over three days to raise money for [the cures] kind of opened the door for them to give. It was an amazing and uplifting experience to receive daily notifications from the 3-Day that a donation had been made and that alone made me want to reach out to even more potential donors! The realization that people were so happy to help made me even more excited about reaching my goals and beyond. Trust me, if I can do this anyone can! Taking the first step to commit is all it takes. From there the adrenaline will propel you to your fundraising goals, as well as to the finish line!” 

Stephanie C.: Top Fundraiser San Diego – $64,000+ 

Stephanie first participated in the 3-Day in 2006 in Philadelphia with the attitude “Try something once. If you don’t like it, you never have to do it again.” Fifteen events later, she continues to show up to the 3-Day and raise funds as people she is close to continue to go through cancer treatment. “This disease touches so many people and many are silent about it. Being open about raising money for the cause and committing to the walk are ways you can help others talk about and participate in helping others in the journey to recovery,” she shared.  

Year after year, Stephanie puts on a golf outing to raise money for the 3-Day, and each year it grows. She has many repeat supporters whom she sets out to make feel important before, during and after the event. She describes her donors as the backbone of the 3-Day, the true heroes who make it all possible. Her advice to first-time walkers is to start fundraising as soon as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for donations. “It’s not about the big donations,” she shared, “it is about all the small ones. Use your networks ? tap into your friends to tap into their friends.” She also recommends creating a revenue stream that gives something back to the donor, like her annual golf outing.  

She looks forward to walking again in the 2024 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day with her friends, including a survivor she met in 2021, and her sister who has joined her in walking the past few years. She sets out to match or exceed the amount she raised in 2023. In closing, she advises “It takes a village! Whether you are a top fundraiser or working hard to hit your minimum requirement ? it takes all of us to provide Komen the opportunity to put our money to good work.” 

2022 San Diego 3-Day Recap 

Our 2022 Susan G. Komen 3-Day series is officially in the books! We wrapped up the season with our final event in San Diego this past weekend, and it was truly a weekend we won’t forget. With 1,700 walkers and 325 crew members, $5.3 million was raised in the fight against breast cancer.  

Day 1 

The Pink Bubble was awake before the sun Friday morning, and gathered at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for our Opening Ceremony. Though quite chilly, there was no lack of excitement as we looked forward to the next three days and 60 miles we’d have together for the last 3-Day in our 2022 series. As emcee Kimberly Reinika and host Cati Diamond Stone kicked things off with some stretching, dancing and our Opening Ceremony, we were soon on our way to start the 60-mile journey. 

The first leg of the route was as special as ever, wandering past Del Mar’s Dog Beach into Del Mar Village, home to some of the best community support we have on the 3-Day. The Torrey Pines High School cheerleaders welcomed us into the heart of Del Mar shortly after our first pit stop of the day. 

Departing Del Mar, we headed towards the infamous Torrey Pines Hill. Though notoriously tough, walkers fueled up at the bottom at pit stop 2 and couldn’t help but smile as they were greeted with immense support and cheering at the top. Continuing on, walkers passed UCSD as they ventured into La Jolla and then towards Kellogg Park for lunch.  

After lunch, walkers further toured La Jolla before heading south into the quaint town of Bird Rock and into Pacific Beach, where our final pit stop and grab & go stations were located. We enjoyed the neighborhood streets of Pacific Beach before hitting Fanuel Park, the entrance point to Mission Bay where we walk along the boardwalk to reach camp at Crown Point Park.  

Walkers crossed the Mohawk Flooring Pink Carpet into camp and 3-Day Main Street where many of our sponsors set up tents to offer various services to our participants. Natura Bissé offered refreshing mists and samples, Bank of America provided massage chairs, and Amgen hosted a lounge with a make-your-own trail mix station and spin-the-wheel prizes aimed at providing knowledge about our bone health. 

We finished up our first day with our Bank of America Celebration of Champions, highlighting all our top fundraisers from individuals, rookies, crew members, youth corps and of course, teams! Stay tuned to the 3-Day blog for our posts about these amazing fundraisers, as well as our Crew Impact and Milestone Award Winners. 

Day 2 

On Day 2, walkers experienced some of San Diego’s great beach towns. After breakfast at camp, we crossed one of Mission Bay’s bridges into Ocean Beach for our  first pit stop of the day. As we ventured further into Ocean Beach’s neighborhoods, we encountered our Day 2 hill. Once reaching the top, walkers were rewarded with amazing ocean views and a cheering station comprised of local supporters and the Heartland Fire Department, who passed out water bottles and snacks to keep us going. 

We rounded our way through Point Loma towards pit stop 2 at Sunset View Elementary, a staple pit stop of the San Diego 3-Day with tons of space and great views. Perhaps even more famed than this great location is the next photo-op located at the bottom of the hill it sits on: Sunset Cliffs! Walkers stopped to take photos and enjoy the ocean breeze, basking in the beautiful weather that we had all weekend long!  

We made our way back through Ocean Beach, passing through pit stop 3 right on the beach and back over Mission Bay Bridge into Bonita Cove for lunch. Here we celebrated being halfway through 60 miles with two decorated arches and of course our halfway dance! Our dedicated sponsors were there, Mohawk Flooring providing their pink SmartCushions to sit on, and Natura Bissé offering refreshing mists. A DJ was on site, providing us with great music and vibes as the San Diego Police Department bike cops led the way for the “Cupid Shuffle” and “Wobble” before heading out.  

The community support continued with tons of signs, live music and face paintings as we headed towards Mission Beach to walk along the boardwalk. We then headed back up towards Fanuel Park for our final pit stop of the day and prepared for the heartfelt and emotional Memorial Mile. Signs dedicated to loved ones we’ve lost to breast cancer lined the path back into camp. That evening we loaded our plates up at the 3-Day buffet and sat down for our Honor Ceremony. 

The San Diego Youth Corps began our Honor Ceremony, telling us their “why” and what urges them to commit to the 3-Day and finding the cures for breast cancer at such a young age. We then heard from three different walkers who told their stories and reminded us all why we walk and why we raise money to fight this horrible disease.  

After the Honor Ceremony, walkers enjoyed a hot chocolate bar with mugs provided by Bank of America. We warmed ourselves up and basked in the last night together in camp, enjoying 3-Day Main Street and placing our luminaria bags near the Remembrance Tent. 

Day 3 

Walkers were led out on their final day of this journey by the Ultimate San Diego 3-Day Experience winner, Gemma G.! We left camp and headed back to the Mission Beach Boardwalk and over to Belmont Park for pit stop 1 . With just over four miles in, we refueled and headed towards our first cheering station of the day, a park path lined with family, friends and members of the community holding signs and waving pom-poms. Walkers stopped to dance at this cheering station, as the Wonderbus played music and offered words of encouragement to finish strong. 

We passed Sea World and were greeted with even more community support as we headed down the riverwalk towards Old Town, home of the infamous Juan Street Hill.  

Fueled by fresh tortilla chips and tons of people motivating us at the bottom, we marched up our last big hill of the San Diego 3-Day. Once reaching the top, more refreshments and even a garden hose mister were offered to cool us down and keep us moving. 

We made our way through the neighborhood of Mission Hills before reaching our final lunch spot at Pioneer Park, taking our time to rest before hitting the final stretch of our 60-mile journey. After finishing lunch, we ventured through Hillcrest and down Balboa Park, where our final cheering station and pit stop were.  

After three days and 60 miles, walkers crossed the finish line at Waterfront Park right next to San Diego Bay. Our Finish Line Festival included pink SmartCushions and the pink carpet provided by Mohawk Flooring, medals by Bank of America, and a giant pink inflatable tunnel from Amgen.  

Our last walker crossed the finish line around 4:30 p.m., initiating the start of our Closing Ceremony. We watched as she raised the “We Will Never Give Up” flag, and welcomed in the rest of our walkers, our crew, the SDPD Bike Cops, and finally, our survivors. A slideshow highlighting great moments throughout the weekend played, and we announced that together we raised $5.3 million. We finished off the event and the end of the 2022 3-Day series with a dance party, celebrating all that we’ve accomplished in the fight against breast cancer! 

The San Diego 3-Day was a great event to wrap up our 2022 season with. A huge “thank you” goes out to the city of San Diego for allowing the Pink Bubble to take over, the local businesses and walker stalkers (local and beyond) who came out to cheer us on, and to all the walkers, crew and volunteers who participated as we fight to put an end to breast cancer. We will see you all again next year!