Tag Archives: Michigan 3-Day

Top 3-Day Photos from 2019

We are getting fully immersed in the holiday season, 2019 is coming to a close, and the new decade is almost here! We can barely believe it! But, instead of getting nervous about gifts left to buy, parties to attend, or New Year’s Resolutions you need to plan still, let’s focus on the AMAZING year that was ??

We certainly had some heartwarming, inspiring, and unforgettable moments this year! If the memories below are any indication, 2019 was full of fun and love 🙂 Don’t forget, you can always see all of our event photos on our blog and Facebook page whenever you like. These are some of our favorite highlights from the year…but there are so many more to love.

Thank you for such a wonderful year…We can’t wait for 2020! We know it’s going to be our best year yet!

 

3-Day Family Fun with Dan Sinclair

If you didn’t already know that August is Family Fun Month, don’t worry! You still have a few days to make the most of this festive month by enjoying some sunshiny summer fun with your favorite people. Whether your family walks with you on the 3-Day or you just lean on them during your 3-Day journey, family is part of everything that the 3-Day stands for.

Someone who knows that all too well is Dan Sinclair from Michigan. 3-Dayers will recognize his smiling face (and pink ponytail) from his time as a walker and Route Safety Crew member. He has been participating in the 3-Day in various ways since 2002, many times alongside his family. This year, however, was different.

This year in Michigan was the first time he walked with his daughter Dawn and two of his granddaughters, Emma and Megan. It was that combination of special women that meant so much to Dan.

“My daughter has walked a lot, and I’ve crewed and walked a lot. But we’ve never gotten to walk together. So, being able to walk together with her, and her daughter, was magical. It culminated everything we have done and was super fun.

It was also important because I walked with my granddaughter, who’s 16. That’s why we walk. She’s the reason. My reason. Being at the Closing Ceremony with all of them was just a magical moment.”

He is not the only one who feels this way. Other members of his family have joined him on his 3-Day journey to support the women in their lives. Aside from Dawn, Emma and Megan, his Michigan 3-Day team included his sister-in-law Sue, nephew Dave and niece Michelle, plus his “Navy sister” Sherry and her son Robbie. Dan met Sherry on the 3-Day years ago, and though they were united by a shared history in the military, it was the 3-Day that really brought them together. Sherry and Robbie came in from Texas to be a part of Dan’s team, “70, Surviving and Sweeping.”

But Dan’s love and dedication goes beyond his family, and even beyond his team to the whole 3-Day community. He is participating in six 3-Days this year (only missing Dallas/Fort Worth) and appreciates that the 3-Day brings out happiness and love all around.

“You get to see people at their kindest. At their best.”

He hopes that some of that spirit rubs off on his family, especially a certain someone…

“I’m hoping that my granddaughter picks some of this up. She’s a really good kid already! And she’s been glowing since that weekend. This walk ain’t for sissies! And she did it!”

Other lessons he would pass on to families who 3-Day together are:

  • “Learn kindness through adversity. Life isn’t always pleasant, and if you lose it, you’ve lost it. You can’t take words and actions back. So just be kind.”
  • “Be careful and plan your fundraising! We had 11 people on the same team, all fundraising at the same time. You have to start early and plan ahead! Put your goal out there early and remind people. Work together and plan and hope for a little bit of luck.”
  • And finally, “Be prepared to cry together. It’s a happy cry, but you will cry.”

Though his own family won’t be with him on the rest of his 2019 3-Days, he knows he won’t be alone this fall. He has another family to look forward to.

“My family says, ‘Oh, Dad’s out playing in the Pink Bubble!’ They go back to school and I go to my pink family.”

We’re honored to have Dan, and all the other families who participate with us, as part of our pink family. We can’t wait to share more fun, love and kindness with all of them, in August and beyond.

2019 Susan G. Komen Michigan 3-Day Wrap-Up

Our first 3-Day of 2019 was one we’ll remember for a long time to come! From the sunshine, to the comfort of our new hotel camp, to the many memories that our Michigan 3-Dayers made over the course of the weekend. The community support was unparalleled, the Youth Corps sprinkled their magic throughout the journey, and our Crew provided support and expertise every step of the way. To say we’re going to look back on this weekend with a smile is quite an understatement.

And it all started with our updated Opening Ceremony on Friday morning! We gathered inside one of our host hotels and highlighted several people in the Michigan community who have committed so much of their heart and soul to Susan G. Komen’s Bold Goal over the years. We also recognized survivors and those who live with metastatic breast cancer. These strong women and men led our walkers out of the hall and into the sun, kicking off our Michigan 3-Day in style.

The walk began through our new 3-Day pink tunnel of fun, sponsored by Amgen, and out onto the sidewalks and trails of Novi. Walkers were greeted at pit stop 1 by the much-loved BOOBees and even got Panera bagels for the perfect kick-off to their journey. From there, they passed by our first local cheering station and headed to pit stop 2 at Meadowbrook Elementary School. Cheerleaders, grahamwiches and some very important stretching carried them through to lunch at the 11.8 mile mark.

Lunch was back at Meadowbrook Elementary, and walkers relaxed in the shade (Thank you, Mohawk, for those cool new shade tents!) before tackling the second half of their day in Novi. The Novi Senior Center at pit stop 3 was a high point of the afternoon, as walkers loved the support and cheering from the local seniors. A quick stop in Rotary Park ended the day, and then our last walker returned to the hotel to raise our 3-Day flag and complete Day One.

We celebrated those first 19.5 miles with a new game of 3-Day bingo and practiced the dance our participants would break out at lunch at the Halfway Point. Then it was time for some much-needed sleep (and showers!) to rest up for Day Two.

Saturday dawned bright and beautiful with our Bank of America Breakfast of Champions, where we honored our top Michigan fundraisers and teams (including two new awards: the “Small But Mighty Team” Award and “Rookie of the Year” Award), as well as our Michigan Milestone and Local Impact winner. We were so happy to celebrate their contributions!

From there, walkers headed through Northville, spending time in local parks and on shady trails. Once they arrived in Plymouth, the energy hit a peak thanks to the amazing community cheering station at Kellogg Park…complete with the pink fountain! Our walkers stretched out in the grass, danced under the sun and soaked in all the excitement of Plymouth.

That enthusiasm continued into lunch, where we had a special new halfway celebration! Photo ops, flash dance mobs, and all kinds of goodies made this lunch extra special. We were halfway to 60 miles, after all!

After lunch, walkers trekked through Northville and back into Novi before ending back home at our hotel camp. Those Bank of America massage chairs and the famous 3-Day mac and cheese were waiting to welcome them! After our last walkers came safely back home, we had a special evening Honor Ceremony, where we heard some beautiful, moving stories from local Michigan participants and the Youth Corps about why they have chosen to commit 3 days, and how Susan G. Komen has affected their lives. Before the night concluded, we invited all participants to leave a memory in our Honor Garden, and to visit the Remembrance room. It was a solemn but inspiring reminder of how much of a difference everyone makes by being a part of the 3-Day. We are excited to bring this emotional, inspiring experience to all seven cities this year.

Sunday, our final day in Michigan, began with a quick bus ride into Livonia, where our walkers started their final day of walking. That walk included stepping through Livonia, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, along with a stop at the picturesque and shady York Park for lunch. Our 3-Day Crew pulled out all the stops for the final day of walking, from the “Eat, Sleep, Cure. We are here to Serve.” camp services team, to our out of this world Crew at pit stop 3 and beyond. The day ended, as it has in the past few years, at the Ford World Headquarters.

Walkers passed underneath the Amgen pink tunnel and across the finish line, hands held, and smiles turned up to the sunshine. For hours, there were almost 50 volunteers from our presenting sponsor, Bank of America, there to cheer our walkers in as they conquered 60 miles in unity and strength. Our last walker arrived home and raised the flag to help us kick off our new Closing Ceremony in style. With our last walker starting our celebration, our survivors and those living with metastatic breast cancer led the rest of our Michigan family into the Closing Ceremony. We celebrated all that we have accomplished in Michigan, thanked those who helped us along the way, and acknowledged the great deeds done over the last 3 days. The 2019 Michigan 3-Day raised $1.2 million in the fight against breast cancer!

Our weekend ended with a dance party in the afternoon sun, and many hugs and smiles shared with all our 400 walkers and 200 crew. Our first 3-Day of 2019 is complete, but we have so much more work to do! Twin Cities, we will see you soon…