Part 5 of the ABCs of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Crew

Welcome to the fifth and final installment of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Crew! We’ve shared letters A – E, F – J, K – O, P – T, and this week, we’re excited to bring you the final six letters. Please tell us your ideas for each letter here or on Facebook, and share these images with your family and friends. (To see the Komen 3-Day walker version of the ABC’s, click here!)

Crew University is a series of recorded, online training sessions designed to get 3-Day® crew members up to speed on what the 3-Day is all about, and provide details about their specific crew jobs. All 3-Day crew members have access to Crew U. in their Participant Centers, and are encouraged to watch the recordings that apply to them before they come to the All Crew Kick-off.

Every 3-Day crew member is a volunteer (they’re paid in hugs, high fives and heartfelt gratitude) who works all three days of the event, but there are also numerous other volunteer opportunities for folks who may not be able to fulfill the full crew commitment. From outreach and recruitment, to training and motivating participants, to on-event roles and responsibilities, there is a volunteer program to fit your schedule, skills and passions on the 3-Day.

To most walkers, they may just look like pink-covered beacons you see from afar, telling you that you’ve reached a stop at last. But to a 3-Day crew member, these open-air tents, called Western Shelters, are an essential part of the pit stops, grab & go’s and lunch stop. Crew members work together to quickly and safely assemble the structures, ensuring that your beloved grahamwiches are kept shaded.

Meet the Philadelphia 3-Day Coaches!

Every Susan G. Komen 3-Day® event has a core team of three coaches, each of whom plays a different role in helping our walkers and crew members prepare for the Komen 3-Day. For months, these dedicated staffers have been having personal conversations with walkers to help them with their training and fundraising, have hosted dozens of local events to bring participants together and build a community of encouragement, and have organized and inspired the amazing team of crew captains and crew members.

Let’s meet the coaches for the Philadelphia 3-Day®!

Joanne Harrington – Philadelphia Local Events Coach

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer. – “Coordinate everything to welcome our walkers to the 3-Day.”

We’re a couple weeks from the Philadelphia event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “I’m insanely busy here! I’m firming up private cheering stations and mobile cheering squads, gathering bakeries for baked good donations, answering questions about ceremony flag bearers and generally just putting on the finishing touches.”

What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “1) I have two lovely granddaughters: Abby, age 9 and Caroline, age 5. Unfortunately, they live in Maryland so I don’t get to see them as much as I would like; 2) I am a Philadelphia Eagles season ticketholder. E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES! LOVE my birds! 3) I have been on 16 cruises.”

Jen Haber – Philadelphia Participant Coach

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer. – “Answering all things 3-Day-related on a daily basis.”

We’re a couple weeks from the Philadelphia event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “Busy! My days are filled with interactions with participants. I’ve gotten to know many Philadelphia walkers through the emails and calls I am receiving. It’s that time of the event season when I am helping with matching gift questions, assisting with online check-in and providing last-minute event details. Everyone has a story that connects us to this cause and I love hearing them. The conversations I have each day are very important to me because they remind me why we are all working so hard to make an impact in the fight against breast cancer.”

What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “1) I live in Southern California and have two dogs who love coming to visit the San Diego 3-Day every year; 2) I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland, where I organized my first breast cancer awareness walk and where my passion for this cause began; 3) I was a vegetarian for almost 20 years until very recently. My carnivore husband couldn’t be happier!”

Melanie Toner – Philadelphia Crew & Volunteer Coordinator

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer. – “Supporting our amazing captains and crew members to rock on event.”

We’re a couple weeks from the Philadelphia event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “I spend most of my day working on communicating final details to crew captains and supporting the crew. My goal is to ensure the crew feels confident and prepared on event. The days are long but it’s all worth it. I’m looking forward to seeing the hard work pay off!”

What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “1) I’m a lefty; 2) An ‘intimate’ family event in my family involves 35-40 people; 3) You will likely find me singing to myself on event – something I do when I have a lot to accomplish and need to focus.”

Going to be at the Philadelphia 3-Day? Come meet coach Joanne at a special meet-and-greet on Friday and Saturday in camp, 6-7 p.m., in the 3-Day Lounge.

One Step at a Time – Meet Pala, a Survivor

Survivors are the heroes of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®. They remind us of one of the many reasons why we walk: because everyone deserves a lifetime. Today, we’re delighted to introduce you to Pala L., from Livonia, Michigan. Pala walked the Komen 3-Day in Michigan last week and is going strong for another 60 miles this week in the Twin Cities. This is Pala’s 14^th 3-Day® since 2009, and she has previously walked Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Tampa and Arizona. “I was going to walk it once to see what it was like,” said Pala. “I was training in 2009 and when registration opened in 2010, I registered before I even walked the first time! I never dreamed I would be walking so many events per year.”

Meet Pala from Livonia, Michigan, who walked Michigan and Twin Cities this year

In 2003, Pala was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I went from being told in March I had a clean mammogram to a lumpectomy in July because I found the lump. I had a six month old granddaughter, and the hardest part of my treatments was not being able to see her because of my low blood count. I don’t want her and that generation to worry about going through things I did. Her other grandmother was diagnosed a year after me, and she has it coming from both sides. I can’t have that.”

In 2007, the 3-Day route went by Pala’s house. Pala was two years out from treatment, and had no idea the 3-Day was in town. “I went outside and cheered. The walkers would say thank you for being here, thanks for coming out. And I thought, I’m just standing here, you’re doing all the work. In 2008, my husband and I stood out there, and again, they thanked us. In 2009, I said to my husband, I want to try this. I want to see what it’s about. I want to see if I can do it. I had no idea if I could fundraise. I had no idea if I could walk 60 miles. 14 events later… here I am.”

Pala proudly wears many buttons and pins.

Pala works on fundraising for ten and a half months out of every year, and after walking 14 events, she’s learned to approach fundraising from many different angles. “I do everything that I can think of,” she said. She starts with writing letters, but her biggest fundraiser is her annual garage sale, and she also dabbles in recycling cans and ink cartridges. Pala also teaches monthly card-making workshops for donations, and reminds nervous fundraisers that the best way to fundraise is to think about what you like to do and figure out how you can make donations from it.

Pala’s passion for the 3-Day is obvious as she describes her love of finding creative ways to fundraise and the joy she gets from being around so many inspiring people. Pala embodies the type of commitment and dedication we see in so many 3-Day participants. What does she tell herself when the last few miles of the day are feeling tough? “Put one foot in front of the other. It’s like a person going through treatment who says, how can I get through this? One day at a time. One step at a time.”