The Pink Bubble returned to Denver, including a day in Boulder, on September 27-29! Courageous participants walked amongst the mountains in the Mile High City to complete 60, 40 or 20 miles over the course of three days. Together, 700 walkers and 220 crew raised a total of $2.3 million for breast cancer research, community health, patient care and advocacy.
Day 1
The Susan G. Komen Denver 3-Day began with a beautiful Opening Ceremony, an opportunity for walkers and crew to gather for the first time before setting out on the route. The spirit of the Pink Bubble radiated as the room filled with excited participants ready to embark on Day 1 of the Susan G. Komen Denver 3-Day. Our incredible speakers, Mona D. and Jana L., shared their reasons for walking; Mona for her sisters and Jana as a 27-year survivor. Following their heartfelt stories, the room filled with emotion as we welcomed Tari P. to raise the Promise Flag in honor of those who we’ve lost to breast cancer. She spoke about her mother who died on Super Bowl Sunday, stating “I didn’t watch that game because I was watching her take her final breaths, but she was the real winner that day, gaining her wings and reuniting with her sister and mother who previously lost their battles with breast cancer.”
Before raising the flag, Tari continued, “Cancer treatments continue to advance, and my mother benefited greatly from those medical breakthroughs. I know that the money I’ve raised over my 21 years with the Komen 3-Day helped fund these advances, giving my mother the precious time to see her grandchildren graduate from college, get married, and have children…. My mom chose joy until her very last day, and I promise to do the same.” With the flag flying high, we took a moment of silence to honor those who have lost their lives to breast cancer and then proudly said their names aloud as walkers embarked on their journey.
With the sun shining, walkers were led by survivors and thrivers for a spirited Day 1! They soon found themselves at the iconic Coors Field, followed by a slumber party themed pit stop 1, equipped with a pink tent, crew members in pajamas, and a pillow fight to top it all off! Hydrated and fueled up, walkers then passed by the Denver Zoo with supporters cheering them on as they walked toward the Lowry District, where a western themed lunch awaited. As they made their way in, walkers were greeted by the Lunch Sheriff who directed them toward a delicious spread of turkey sandwiches, garden salad, and sides. Fueled and rested, they continued the second half of their day, where they passed by the Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion and the Pioneer Monument Fountain before heading toward camp.
Greeted by soft pretzels and massage chairs, walkers rested their feet as we awaited the last walker, who happened to be one of the morning’s speakers, Jana. The Celebration of Champions soon commenced where Bank of America rewarded our top fundraisers with donations up to $500 for their 2025 3-Day ® fundraising. Keep an eye out for our blog post about the top fundraisers coming soon! Our coaches then honored the Milestone Award Winner and Crew Impact Award Winner. Our National Presenting Sponsor then hosted a raffle where five Denver 3-Day participants were awarded a swag bag along with a $250 toward their 2025 fundraising efforts. To wrap up an exciting evening, the men of Mohawk, Alec and Logan, hopped on stage to share an awesome 3-Day rap for the second year in a row! Walkers headed to bed with a fresh tune in their head as they rested their feet for the next day.
Day 2
This sunny day began with 2-Day Walkers checking in and everyone hopping aboard a 3-Day bus to Boulder for a scenic route through the Rocky Mountains. The first to board was the Denver Ultimate Event Experience winner Mary Ann I., who raised over $6,200 during the eligible period for her 16th 3-Day. The buses rolled into the beautiful East Boulder Park where walkers were greeted by porta potties and a hydration station to ensure they started their day on the right foot.
With mountains in every direction, no matter where the route took them, walkers were in for a stunning view. As they continued, they were met with the Memorial Mile next to a community garden, serving as a beautiful juxtaposition as we honored those who have lost their lives while celebrating the growing life in the surrounding fields. After reflection on the impact of community, they were soon welcomed to a delicious lunch at the halfway point of their 60-mile journey! From here they continued through the hilly streets of Boulder with stops at a pirate themed pit stop 3 and a gold medal worthy pit stop 4 adorned with Olympics regalia. Just three miles later, buses awaited our courageous participants with comfortable seating for a ride back to Denver.
As walkers paraded into camp, they were greeted with delicious Tex-Mex cuisine, Bank of America Massage Chairs, and some much-anticipated air conditioning before the Honor Ceremony commenced. The Youth Corps kicked things off by sharing who inspires them to participate in the 3-Day and were followed by speakers Dennis, a male breast cancer survivor, and Shiela, who commits for her late sister Sandy. Dennis began his speech by asking the room to raise their hand if they had ever met a male breast cancer survivor which resulted in only a few hands raised. As the room fell silent, he shared that he has only ever met five other male survivors, including his brother, and spoke to the importance of male breast cancer advocacy. From Dennis’ experience and that of his brother, even some of the most well-renowned doctors in large metropolitan cities are not equipped with the resources to fully detect male breast cancer in its early stages. He shed tears while speaking to the importance of early detection and self-advocacy in the doctor’s office for men and women alike. Shiela took to the stage and spoke about her beautiful sister Sandy who she and her team walk in honor of. “At the beginning of this year, our lives changed forever, and our 3-Day walks took on a whole new meaning. On January 2nd, the best sister, mom, aunt, wife, grandma, sister-in-law, cousin, co-worker, and friend left this earthly world. Now, she’s our special pink butterfly angel in Heaven,” Shiela shared. As she stepped off the stage, the 3-Day community lit their candles in tribute to the friends and family who continually inspire their participation. After sharing many hugs and tears, walkers and crew called it a night and rested up for their final day of the Denver 3-Day.
Day 3
Sunday began by welcoming our 1-Day Walkers into the Pink Bubble before all walkers made their way out on the route, ready for the final day in the Mile High City! I connected with Dawn and Chris, who were spending their day honoring their sister and wife, Rae, a long-time walker who lost her battle with breast cancer on this day seven years ago. To represent their final day with her on September 29, 2017, team Keeping Abreast repped jerseys with the number 29 on the back to honor Rae. At her very last 3-Day in 2017, they recorded a video of Rae singing the song she was known for, “good morning, good morning,” and, as her loved ones set out on the route on the anniversary of her passing, they were met with a route safety crew member singing the beloved tune. As chills fell down their spines, they felt more connected to Rae than they could have imagined and walked the rest of the way with a reminder of why we walk.
Walkers enjoyed sunshine and scenic views all day long as they passed through RiNo Arts District, over South Platte River, and ventured into Edgewater. With the Colorado sun radiating strongly, walkers were offered hydration and food at pit stops, grab & gos and the lunch stop, where they had the chance to take a cute photo in front of the flower wall. After resting their feet, walkers continued their journey as our friends from XPO cheered them on and offered snacks, candy, water, and sports drinks to give the extra push through their final miles. For those needing a little boost from one spot to another, fun sweep vans like the Gnome Mobile came to the rescue! Whether on foot or in a sweep van, walkers passed by Sloans Lake Park and Empower Field at Mile High Stadium before parading into the Finish Line Festival at the Tivoli Quad.
As they proudly stepped across the Mohawk Pink Carpet, walkers were celebrated by friends, family, crew, and Susan G. Komen® for their tremendous accomplishment. As we anticipated the last walker, participants were able to take photos, get some swag, and enter an awesome raffle at the Nature’s Bounty tent before retrieving their victory shirt and Bank of America medal. We welcomed the last walker home before our spectacular Crew lined the way toward the stage as our courageous survivors and thrivers walked in, grounding us in why we walk. We gave a loving goodbye to our 3-Day Host Cati Diamond Stone, who will be entering a new chapter of her life, passing the torch over to Beverly Kruse who will be joining us at the Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego 3-Day events. It was then revealed that the 700 walkers and 220 crew members of the 2024 Susan G. Komen Denver 3-Day raised a collective $2.3 million in the fight against breast cancer. The funds raised will be used to invest in cutting-edge research that will lead to new, more effective treatments, working in communities across the country to ensure all people can access the care they need, and mobilizing passionate supporters to make certain the voice of the breast cancer community is heard by policymakers.
It was a wonderful return to Denver, and we can’t wait to do it all over again in 2025!
