2019 Twin Cities 3-Day Wrap-Up

The weekend could not have been brighter or more fun for our Twin Cities 3-Day. 400 walkers and 150 crew gathered together to honor our community and celebrate the start of an amazing 3 days. Our 60-Mile journey began with an emotional Opening Ceremony at our hotel camp. Local participants shared their stories, then our local survivors and those living with metastatic breast cancer led our walkers out into the sun and onto the route…

The walk began with time for photos and famous Minnesota sights in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and through Kenwood Park. The local community came out with cheer stations at William Berry and Lynnhurst Parks before lunch. Lunch was shady and relaxing thanks to the sunglasses from Amgen and bright pink mats and shade tents from Mohawk Flooring. Before they knew it, our walkers had already conquered 10 miles!

At Grab B, walkers could stop and take in the picturesque Minnehaha Falls and relax under some shady trees. It was there that we also met our Twin Cities Youth Corps team, who spread smiles and enthusiasm all weekend long!

Pit Stop 3 was a great selfie opportunity, thanks to crew fun, and then a few miles later, our walkers came home to the hotel camp. Down the pink carpet, and into our 3-Day Camp Main Street, walkers were reinvigorated thanks to the Bank of America massage chairs, sweet treats from Amgen Oncology, and a hearty evening meal. After dinner, we played a rousing game of 3-Day BINGO and ended Day One with lots of laughs.

Saturday began with our Bank of America Breakfast of Champions, where we awarded our Top Fundraisers for Twin Cities, as well as honoring our Milestone and Local Impact Award Winners. It was the perfect way to start our Day 2, and we were excited to cheer on our walkers as they headed out into the sunlight.

The cheering and support continued all day long thanks to community support like the Susan G. Komen Minnesota Affiliate, who supported our walkers at Pit Stop 2. The excitement reached a peak at lunch at Central Park in Roseville. There we held our halfway celebration, as walkers were already 30 miles down in their weekend journey. There were extra photo opps and celebratory decorations, as well as a dance party led by Mark and our Youth Corps and Crew. It was the perfect way to start the second half of our day!

From there, walkers passed through the beautiful areas of Little Canada and White Bear Lake. The walk along the water, and underneath shady trees, helped make the sunny afternoon a comfortable and enjoyable one. There were plenty of cheering stations, and even free pink ice cream cones at Cup and Cone in White Bear Lake. The day ended with a bus pick-up from White Bear Lake Area Schools. Walkers took a bus back home to our hotel camp, and after our Day 2 final walker arrived, we were all united.

From there, we held our second Honor Ceremony, hearing stories from local participants and our Twin Cities Youth Corps. We raised our voices and our hearts together to remember why we walk, and why we will never give up. Everyone went to sleep on Saturday night with hearts full of love and excitement for our final day together.

Day 3 brought perfect walking weather, thanks to some evening rain the night before. Walkers made great time as they trekked through Falcon Heights and into St. Paul. Van Cleve and Como Regional Parks brought beautiful sights and easy steps as walkers made their way into lunch. By midday, they had already walked more than 11 miles!

Our afternoon was spent throughout St. Paul, including a stop at the Summit Overlook Park, which provided great views of the city and many a photo opportunity.

But soon enough the day, and the 60-mile walk, were over. Our walkers crossed the finish line in front of the Minnesota State Capital building, cheered on by friends and family. They received their Bank of America medals, and proudly wore them while they celebrated, took photos, and relaxed in our Finish Line Festival area. Then, our last walker came home, leading the crew and all our local survivors into the cheering crowd of our 3-Day participants.

There was much to celebrate! Our 400 Twin Cities walkers and 150 Crew raised an amazing $1.1 million this weekend in the fight against breast cancer! We danced under the sun, hand in hand, and ended the weekend with smiles all around. Thank you, Twin Cities, for yet another amazing 60-mile journey with us!

Meet Your Twin Cities 3-Day Coaches

It’s hard to believe it, but we’re only days away from our Twin Cities 3-Day! We can’t wait to take this 60-mile journey with all our Minnesota 3-Dayers, and no one is more excited than our 3-Day coaches. As our team makes the final preparations and plans for the 60-mile journey, we thought it was about time that you all get to know our Twin Cities 3-Day coaching team.

Meet Coaches Liz and Heather, our amazing Crew Coordinator Kiki and Event Manager Eileen. They make the 3-Day magic happen year-round, working every day towards this weekend. That means that they spend a lot of time together, and they love it that way. They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders, just like they cheer for you!

Liz is the definition of “excellent customer service” and Kiki considers her to be “my Webster’s Dictionary of the 3-Day!” She knows everything and can be your one-stop shop for any questions or needs you have leading up to, and during, the weekend.
Kiki is the Crew and coaching team’s best resource — funny and quick-witted and she knows all the right ways to support her Crew.
Eileen planned your amazing 3-Day route, and Liz says she “is the master at getting things done.” And, according to Liz, she has a wicked dry sense of humor! Maybe she has some 3-Day puns to share ?
Last but certainly not least, Coach Heather is a new addition to the Twin Cities team, and her fellow coaches describe her as “so full of energy, when she is laughing you cannot help but join in and you can always depend on her for a really fun time.” We can’t wait to see her smiling face out on the route!

Eileen has already given us a preview of just what that route will look like, and some of her favorite spots are:

Nicollet Mall where our Opening Ceremony will take place, inside the Hyatt Regency
The Nicollet Mall art fest
Lake Minnehaha Boulevard
Minnehaha Regional Park and Minnehaha Falls
White Bear Lake and the surrounding community
Stone Arch Bridge

But that’s not all the walkers and crew members can look forward to!

Heather promises “an incredible weekend full of inspiration, laughter, tears, amazing memories, countless hugs, and endless high fives!”

Kiki added, given that this walk takes place in Minnesota, out-of-towners and locals alike will experience everything that the state is known for: “beautiful scenery and the nicest people on the planet.”

To get you ready for all of that, our coaches also have advice to help you in the final days before you begin your journey.

Coach Kiki encourages everyone to work together. “Ask for help when you need it and offer it when you think it’s needed by others.”
Coach Heather reminds everyone to be in the moment! “Yes, there are many photo opportunities, but don’t miss “being in it” just to see it in pictures later. Be present! Remember, there are so many pictures being taken by those around you, the moment will surely be captured by someone!”
Coach Liz echoes that and adds to “be sure to drink more than you think you need, both water and sports drink. There is no rush; you have all day, so enjoy every moment.”

That includes enjoying time at our new hotel camp! Liz says some highlights to especially look forward to are “a great community feel as we gather in one banquet room, a nice comfy bed at the end of the day, and a bathtub!”

What more could you want? How about quality time with these amazing ladies, and all of your 3-Day family? ? In just a few days, we’ll all be together in the Pink Bubble…We’ll see you soon!

Congratulations to the 2019 Michigan 3-Day Local Impact Award Winner, Melissa Melson

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 Michigan 3-Day Local Impact Award Winner, Melissa Melson!

Her Team Captain, Janice Shore, raves about Melissa!

“The Hines Pink Pathers are so very happy that Melissa is receiving this award! Melissa is considerate and kind to all she encounters and is always willing to help with questions or problems, whether it is 3-Day related or not. Melissa really puts her heart and soul into everything she does including her commitment and dedication to the 3-Day!”

We got to know Melissa a little better, and learn more about the serious impact she has had on the Michigan 3-Day. When she was answering these questions, she didn’t yet know that she’d be our award winner!

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

I am not sure what it was. It was just a feeling truthfully. I had heard about it before and the end of 2011 on the radio and was inspired by the 3-Day message and ad. I heard the advertisement on the radio and I just felt like I had to sign up. I was stuck in traffic and it just felt like the right thing to do.

My mom’s mom had breast cancer probably 20 years prior but no one else had it when I first walked. Despite not really knowing people diagnosed when I first signed up, that was soon to change, and it turns out the 3Day was leading me right where I needed to be! My mom ended up being diagnosed right after the end of my first walk with stage 2 almost 3 breast cancer. The following spring a classmate was diagnosed at age 30 with Triple negative breast cancer, and she died 3 years later. Many more have been diagnosed over these last 7 or 8 years including my stepmom as well. Watching then fight such a hard fight made me frustrated and I needed to do something. Unbeknownst to me, the 3-Day helped me find my way to help, my purpose before I knew I needed it.

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

The people I met on my first 3-Day became the family I got to choose. It was an amazing positive and proactive environment despite having a rough first walk. I didn’t train like I should have. I didn’t have the right shoes, and I didn’t know anyone really when I started. I was about 80 lbs heavier, but the happy pink bubble draws me back every year. I could have had blisters and sore muscles from head to toe, and I would still come back year after year.

It’s also the list of names I walk for that grows each year unfortunately. More people need me. I feel like I need to raise money for those who can’t and walk for those who are unable to. This walk gives me a way to help, a way to deal with a feeling of helplessness to help my loved ones when I cannot cure their cancer or take their pain away.

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

Start early, do a variety of things, and join a team if you need the extra support to help, give you ideas, and they can help you train and be better prepared too. I send emails and reminders. Just because someone doesn’t donate this year doesn’t mean they won’t next year, or that their busy life won’t get them sidetracked and they forget.

Contact local businesses, talk to your job to see what you can do there. You can do online fundraisers where you can reach people outside your neighborhood or social circle. Try a lot of different things because what works for one community might not work well in yours. What works for your friends might not be as successful with the people you know, so broaden your reach and try a variety of types of fundraisers until you figure out what works for you.

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

Be prepared (train, good shoes, and focus on health going in) but also have fun. Don’t rush, stop and enjoy the pink roses lol. Enjoy all the beautiful people and the 3Day family. This is a pink bubble, that is unlike anywhere or anything else in the world.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I was just on Channel 4 news, interviewed by Paula Tutman for a recently developing passion! I’ve always cared about the environment and animals and living creatures. I think pesticides that kill bees and pollinators are not good for us either and I can do something to help pollinators and the world we live in. I found out a way to help and started my own pollinator and environmentally friendly flower garden. It is over 15 ft long and about 4 feet wide and doing pretty well considering this is my first year as a gardener.