The Insider’s Peek at the Dallas/Fort Worth Route

Earlier this year, we treated our readers to The Insider’s Peek at the 3-Day Route, where we gave you a detailed look at the planning, work and execution that goes into creating the routes for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Series. While that two-part Insider’s Peek was full of tasty details, it didn’t explicitly address the particulars of any specific Komen 3-Day location.

Until now!

It seemed like a natural progression to go from an expansive overview of 3-Day® route-planning in general to a more pinpointed look at each of the seven 3-Day events. So I’ve been picking the brains of the event planning team and local coaches to get the skinny on what walkers can expect. Sharing this information early on will help walkers prepare for their events, train for what’s to come and know what exciting high points to look forward to.

We’re publishing one of these location-specific route peeks for every 2015 3-Day event (we’ve already enjoyed peeks at the Michigan, Twin Cities, Seattle, Philadelphia and Atlanta routes) and today, it’s the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day’s turn to shine. Let’s see what Event Planning Manager Kiki and Local Events Coach Gayla had to say!

Do you know of any major changes to the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day route from last year? – Veterans of the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day will notice quite a few changes to the route they’ve been familiar with for the past few years. Kiki shared that there are some adjustments to the route on Day 1 and Day 3, and that we’ll be using some new parks for pit stops on all three days. “These are places walkers haven’t seen in the past, which is exciting. We’re definitely showing walkers some trendy new neighborhoods in the Dallas area.” She added that the most significant changes will be seen on Day 2. “We heard feedback about how particularly rough the big blue bridge in Addison was for the walkers. So it’s gone! We will get to see more of Addison (I love that city!) as well as see parts of some other charming Dallas neighborhoods.” Gayla added, “You won’t be disappointed! We’re visiting some areas we have walked through in the past and some new neighborhoods, so expect awesome support from new residents and cheering stations along the way.”

What, if any, geographical challenges does the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day route present (i.e., are there hills? Poor sidewalks? Sections with no shade? Portions of the route that sweep vans can’t access easily?)? – Kiki and Gayla agree that, while Dallas/Fort Worth is the one 3-Day route that is seeing the most changes in 2015, it is still the least demanding route, in terms of geographical challenges. “One thing walkers don’t have to worry much about on the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day is hills.” There are some inclines (impossible to avoid completely), but no major mountains to climb. Both Kiki and Gayla mentioned that a fair amount of walking will be done on sidewalks (as opposed to trails or soft road shoulders), so walkers should prepare by training on curbs and sidewalks with driveways. Gayla, who joins training walks with Dallas/Fort Worth walkers on a regular basis says, “Believe it or not, those tiny little repeated steps and inclines can do a number on you, so be prepared for them. Don’t forget to keep your eyes on the path for those sneaky tree roots trying to make their way to the surface. Sweep vans are readily accessible, so have no fear.” North Texas in November shouldn’t see terrible heat, but Kiki did point out that there’s not a lot of shade on some parts of the route, so hats and sunscreen are a must.

Any specific highlights/locations that walkers can look forward to seeing along the way? – The event planners and coaches love when I ask them this question, and are always ready to brag about their locales. Gayla, a North Texas native, said, “Get ready for some very cheerful elementary students to greet you on Friday. They LOVE it when the walkers pass by their schools, so get your high-five hands ready!” She continued, “There are several ‘BIG’ statues around Dallas promoting Big D’s ‘Big Things Happen Here’ celebration, and walkers will have great opportunities to pose as the ‘I’ in these statues all over town. The last stretch in Downtown Dallas you’ll be smack-dab in the middle of a cattle drive (bronze cattle statues that is). Get your cameras ready for some cool pics on the last few miles before the finish.” Kiki, on the other hand, is not from Dallas/Fort Worth, so she offers a different perspective: “While I’m not new to the 3-Day, I am newer to the production side of things with the Dallas/Fort Worth event. What I have loved about my visits to the area and my work on planning the route is that I feel I get a real sense of all that Dallas and nearby cities have to offer. And I think my perspective as an ‘outsider’ has allowed me to find some really great new spots for the route.”

Any other information you can provide about the overall “essence” of the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day route? –Kiki loves that “Everything here feels spread out, but not in a negative way. It doesn’t ever feel congested with lots of crowds or traffic. All three days will feel like a casual Sunday stroll showing the best of the best of what the Dallas/Fort Worth communities have to offer.” Our Texas gal Gayla adds, “Dallas/Fort Worth is ‘urban meets wild-wild-west.’ Being born and raised here, and having participated in the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day many times, I can say with no exaggeration that there’s never part of the route that I don’t love.”

The Bottom Line – The Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day is a wonderful slice of the great American west, with a healthy dose of slow, friendly southern charm. While walkers don’t have to worry much about hill training, the demands of walking long distances on flat ground peppered with small steps and curbs is still something to prepare for.

The Insider’s Take – My first experience with the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day was last year as a staff member, and while I wasn’t walking the 60 miles or working on the crew alongside the participants, I did spend a lot of time out on the route and in camp, taking in the Texas experience (including one of the most gorgeous 360-degree sunrises I’ve ever seen in my life). I can say that the people in and around Dallas/Fort Worth were some of the nicest folks I’ve come across in my years with the 3-Day, and the sites along the route were one lovely location after another. I’m excited to see the changes in store for this year and have no doubt that the wonderful people who make up the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day family will continue to be the most beautiful aspects of this already-beautiful route. I’m convinced enough that I’m already registered to walk there next year!

Congratulations to the 2015 Twin Cities 3-Day Top Fundraisers

After a beautiful first day of the 2015 Susan G. Komen Twin Cities 3-Day last Friday, walkers and crew members gathered in the dining tent as Chrissy Mathews from Susan G. Komen® and our friends from Bank of America honored the Twin Cities 3-Day’s top fundraisers. Join us in congratulating these extraordinary participants!

Top Individual Fundraiser
Patricia M. walked in her seventh 3-Day this year in the Twin Cities, and she raised a remarkable $15,260 this year. This is the second year in a row that Patricia has held the top individual fundraiser honor, having raised a lifetime total of $86,614 for the 3-Day. To help her celebrate all she has achieved with the Twin Cities 3-Day this year, Patricia’s son flew in from Alaska to support her as a walker stalker along the route.

Top Crew Fundraiser

The top crew fundraiser in the Twin Cities was Sharon G., who raised $3,772 this year. She has participated in the 3-Day five times as a walker, and 2015 marks her third year being on the crew. This year, she is part of the sweep team. In her eight years with the 3-Day, Sharon has raised a remarkable $33,175. Sharon’s dedicated work ethic is apparent not just on the 3-Day, but in her everyday life too: she started working at her job the day after she got out of business school, and although her company has gone through three owners and three building moves, she is still there 39 years later.

Top Fundraising Team

The top fundraising team, Mickey’s Hope, “shamrocked” the Twin Cities 3-Day for the seventh year as a team, and has raised $34,907 this year alone. In their history as a team, Mickey’s Hope’s lifetime fundraising total is just shy of $255,000. Team Captain Patrick O’Connor was on hand to accept the top fundraising recognition on behalf of his sixteen teen members.

Thank you to these fabulous fundraisers and all of the Twin Cities 3-Day walkers and crew members. Together, you raised an incredible $1.6 million, and brought us all closer to our promise of ending breast cancer forever.

Twin Cities 3-Day – SATURDAY WEATHER UPDATE!!

UPDATE, 5:15 p.m.

The 3-Day event staff has made the decision to relocate the sleeping area of camp to an indoor location (North High School, 2416 – 11^th Ave., St. Paul MN). The weather situation in the area for the next several hours has escalated to the point that we feel it would be safest and most comfortable to move our campers indoors to sleep. Doing this proactively means we can avoid a middle-of-the-night move, should the weather become severe later.

Here’s what 3-Day campers should know about next steps:

If you are NOT going to stay in camp tonight, you may leave at any time. It is not necessary to check out with crew members or staff members.
Buses will transport participants from Harvest Park to North High School on a loop starting as soon as possible. We will run the buses between locations for as long as it takes to transport everyone.
Camp Show for tonight has been cancelled
At this time, we do not recommend that family members and friends come to the 3-Day camp. Supporters who are already at camp will be informed of the relocation; they will not be able to visit participants at the indoor location, however, they can pick participants up from the high school if they wish.
Food service at Harvest Park (the current outdoor camp) will continue until approximately 5:45 p.m., (this could change at any time if weather conditions become severe). We strongly encourage campers to eat before relocating to the indoor location.
The shower area of camp has been closed. We’re sorry!
There will NOT be food service or showers at the indoor location.
You will not set up a new tent in the high school gym (it will be one big slumber party!). There are indoor bathrooms at the site.
Regarding participant gear, campers have two options:
- You can grab your most essential sleeping items (sleeping bags, pillows and air mattresses; essential toiletries; pajamas and clothes/shoes for tomorrow), and leave the rest of your gear inside your tent in camp. Please be sure to leave enough to weigh down your tent (you can also weigh your tent down with gallon jugs of water, which you can grab from camp hydration tables). Do not take more than you need for one night of sleep. We can provide you with plastic bags to carry your stuff to the indoor site if needed. You can return to your tents and gear in the morning.
- You can grab your most essential sleeping items (sleeping bags, pillows and air mattresses; essential toiletries; pajamas and clothes/shoes for tomorrow), and load your remaining gear onto the gear trucks. You should be able to access your bags again in the morning; once camp closes on Sunday, all gear on the trucks will be moved ahead to the Participant Finish Area, where you can retrieve it Sunday afternoon.
ON SUNDAY MORNING – Buses will begin shuttling crew members back to Harvest Park at 3:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. Breakfast service for CREW will begin back at Harvest Park at 4:00 a.m.. Breakfast service for WALKERS will begin at 4:30 and camp medical service will begin at 6:00 a.m. The last bus back to Harvest Park will leave North High School at 5:30 a.m.
Route operations for Sunday are expected proceed as normal. The route opens at 6:30 a.m., and all walkers must be on the route by the time camp closes at 7:00 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

With as beautiful as it was on the route earlier today, it’s hard to imagine that the weather might give us any trouble tonight, but unfortunately, it is looking like that doozy of a summer storm is going to find its way to us this evening and stick around into the night.

Here’s where we stand with how this will affect the Twin Cities 3-Day:

We are monitoring the changes very closely and adjusting plans accordingly. We know that the weather can change minute by minute, so we’re watching it minute by minute.
At this point, we do not plan to relocate to an indoor camp site for the night. We will update you promptly if that changes.
We will have buses standing by at camp where participants will take shelter should the storms become severe during the night (i.e., if lightning is present and/or winds become hazardous.).
Family & Friends Night and the Saturday Night camp show are scheduled to proceed as planned.
If you choose to leave camp to stay elsewhere tonight, the gear trucks will be available to take and store luggage until Sunday at the walker finish area, where it may be retrieved.
If you will be sleeping at camp tonight, we strongly recommend that you keep all of your luggage and belongings in plastic bags, and if possible, you sleep close to the center of your tents.
Please continue to check Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the evening, and come to the Saturday camp show, where we will also announce any updated information.
Finally, if a relocation should become necessary at some point, please follow all staff and crew instructions.

We at the 3-Day have weathered weather issues like this before, and we’re confident with our plan for tonight. Our number one priority is keeping our participants safe. If you have questions, please ask a 3-Day staff person.