Please join us in congratulating our 2017 Milestone Award Winner; Jim Hillmann. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Milestone Award is given at each event to a walker or crew member who has an outstanding history of participation in the Komen 3-Day. At the Michigan 3-Day camp show, we presented Jim Hillmann with this special honor.
We talked to some of Jim’s teammates about what a special guy he is – and here’s what they had to say. “Jim, also known as Lime with the Coconuts, is the embodiment of the 3 day. His journey with this walk began in 2008 to honor his mom.. She lost her 8 year battle with breast cancer in 2004. He has vowed to make the 3-Day a part of his life until he can walk in celebration that is a cure. He never meets a stranger, and he is genuinely interested in everyone’s story. He has a way of absorbing every story he is given and making it a part of his journey. He has thousands of stories of thousands of walkers who have walked alongside him and told their story to him–he listens, absorbs, and shares them, lending weight and validity to each and every one. If you’ve ever walked alongside our Lime, you’ve heard about Zoie and others. The walkers of the 3 Day are truly a part of his extended family. He builds us up, makes us feel better, and gathers us in and brings us along when we feel as if we cannot take another step. He is our adopted brother, father, uncle, friend.”
Jim with his dear friend Zoie, a Youth Corps Member
Now let’s hear a little bit about Jim’s story from his perspective. We asked him these questions, but he had no idea he would be selected as our winner!
What was your inspiration in joining the 3-Day, Jim?
My mother, who died from breast cancer in 2004 after an eight year battle. It was her second time with breast cancer that took her life.
What has brought you back to the 3-Day year after year?
During my first walk in 2008 in San Francisco, I quickly realized that the 3-Day community was very special and I knew I had found a place where I could make a difference in people’s lives, specifically to those affected by breast cancer. Over the next several years, my passion and desire continued to grow as I met more in the community, sharing my story with them and hearing theirs. These conversations along the routes, in camp and throughout the year, deeply touched my heart, further fueling my passion to help. It was in 2011, however, when I fully realized the depth, strength and love of the 3-Day community to help others. During that year, I met a nine year old girl on Belmont Hill who lost her mother to breast cancer the prior year. Based on a photo I took of the girl and the reaction by the community when I posted it, my life was forever changed. The community reached out to the girl, and her two sisters, and provided them with love and support in so many ways. The depth to which they supported her, and continue to do so, is something I will never forget. It is these experiences that bring me back each year, with the hope that one day it will no longer be necessary as we have a cure. On that day, we can rest.
What is the secret to your 3-Day fundraising success?
To walk in all 14 events in 2011, I needed to raise over $32,000, a number I could not comprehend when I began. I quickly realized, the money would not come from simply asking relatives and friends but would have to come from other sources. At that time I decided that the best method to raise additional funds was to pick passions that I had and figure out how to make money from them. For example, I love photography, so I did photo shoots. Along with my son, we loved to geocache, so my daughter, a graphic designer, designed a geocache coin and pin. I also made the effort to create one new fundraiser a year, hopefully one that would create new streams of contributors. Finally, I knew that there would be “great” ideas that failed miserably and “silly” ideas that would excel. The bottom line, “Never be discouraged by a fundraiser that fails, but learn from it and create something even better next time.”
A teammate said about Jim’s fundraising, ” Jim does not have a fundraising “season” as most of us do. His fundraising level has hit epic and above–he collects cans, he makes coins and pins, he plays bunco, he attends baseball games–his list of ideas is endless, and he is happy to share them with those of us who are not natural to the fundraising world. He is our Lime, and we are his Coconuts.”
What is your best advice to anyone walking the 3-Day?
Never doubt the positive impact your are making in the lives of those affected by this relentless disease. Each dollar raised and step that is taken, puts us closer to a cure, so never give up on what we are trying to accomplish – to end breast cancer. A survivor in Dallas 2012, who I met while she was cheering us on, told me something that I love to tell others when they ask about walking. When I thanked the survivor for her support. She told me, “You cannot fully understand how much your walking (meaning all of us) means to myself and other survivors. Your walking gives us hope. Thank you.”
What’s a fun fact about you?
Our family was blessed to be able to work overseas for our company for a total of nine years, providing us with the opportunity to not just visit other cultures but to live and be a part of those cultures, providing us with new perspectives on other countries and on our own.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned on the 3-Day?
1. A community focused on one goal can accomplish the impossible.
2. Never doubt the impact one person can make in the lives of others.
3. A goal worth achieving is one worth giving one’s all for.
Jim, we’re confident that you’ve achieved your goal of being an unstoppable force in the fight to end breast cancer. On behalf of all of us walking, crewing, and supporting the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, thank you.
The top training walk leader for the 2016 Seattle 3-Day is Tath Hossfeld. Tath will be a 33-year survivor this November, and has participated in the 3-Day 24 times in the last 13 years (she’ll be doing walk number 25 in Atlanta in a few weeks). She is the captain of the team Flamingo Road, a mentor to other walkers, and a devoted volunteer. Tath has been a training walk leader for the last 10 years and this year, she led 29 walks with 114 attendees. She is meticulous about planning her training walks and goes out of her way to make sure everyone there feels comfortable, supported, and informed while also looking for ways to make them fun for everyone. Tath also won the Local Impact Award 
The 3-Day Youth Corps are kids between the ages of 10 and 16 who come out to cheer and support the 3-Day walkers and crew members. They are required to raise a minimum of $500 in order to participate, which makes it all the more extraordinary to share that 15-year-old Lauren Simpson, a first-time Youth Corps member from Danville, CA, raised $1,905 this year. Way to go, Lauren!
Congratulations to Cathy Youngling, the top crew fundraiser for Seattle, who raised an astonishing $10,040 this year, bringing her lifetime fundraising total to $97,333. Cathy is part of the Pit Stop 2 team, and this year’s Seattle 3-Day is her 11th event in 8 years. She is captain of the team Are We There Yet? in Seattle. Cathy is also a 21-year survivor, and is Grammy to two sweet girls who love to wear pink (not because of breast cancer but because it’s pretty with their sparkly shoes).
For the third consecutive year, the top individual walker fundraiser in Seattle is Loretta Englishbee, with $26,115 raised this year. Loretta has raised nearly $400,000 alone since starting with the 3-Day 11 years ago. Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, Loretta and her Team Bee teammates were unable to join us at the Seattle event this year; her teammate Michelle and friend Kathy accepted the award on Loretta’s behalf.
And big congratulations to Valley Girls & Guys, which was both the largest team on the Seattle 3-Day (150 members) and the top fundraising team, with $320,480 raised this year. Valley Girls & Guys, captained by Tina McDonough, has raised $2,398,313 in its 8 years as a Seattle 3-Day team. Wow!
This year’s Seattle 3-Day Milestone Award winner is Randy Gangnes. Randy has been a 3-Day participant for 12 years, and all 12 of her walks have been in Seattle. She is the captain of In The Pink, and in her years as a 3-Day walker, she has personally raised over $67,400. When she’s not out training or fundraising for the 3-Day, Randy teaches first grade, enjoys singing, reading and traveling, and is an avid Seahawks fan and season ticket holder. Her husband Ron—who has also been a Seattle 3-Day walker for 12 years—told us, “Randy is shy and unassuming and will definitely be embarrassed by this attention.” Randy herself is also a breast cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with DCIS in 2003. “Komen is a way of life for us, something our family, still to this day, doesn’t understand completely,” Ron shared. “Randy is the definition of selflessness. She feels that if she can prevent just one person from having to go through what she did, then all the miles she’s walked (probably over 6,000 miles) are worth it.” Merrilyn, a close friend and long-time teammate of Randy’s told us, “Randy is my inspiration for walking in the 3-Day. I see her passion for the cause, and witness her tireless efforts in fundraising and training, and know that I want to match her enthusiasm with my own. Randy not only walks in the 3-Day, she walks the belief in Susan G. Komen all year long. She is a true ambassador for the 3-Day and everyone who knows her understands that raising money for curing breast cancer is one of her life values. Randy is absolutely deserving of this 3-Day Milestone Award!” We couldn’t agree more!
We were delighted to recognize Kathy Bressler with the 2016 Seattle 3-Day Local Impact Award. Kathy has been a 3-Day walker and captain of Sole Mates for 8 years, and has personally raised over $30,000 for the 3-Day. Like so many others, her reasons for becoming involved with the 3-Day were deeply personal: both her grandmother and mother died from breast cancer. Kathy’s involvement with the breast cancer cause has been a life-long passion, extending even further than the 3-Day; she has served as board president of Komen Puget Sound for a two-year term while holding her position as President of Franciscan Health System’s Saint Clare Hospital. Her teammate Jennifer shared, “Kathy has always been an advocate for finding a cure for breast cancer for others, never thinking that she would be the 1 in 8.” Yes, Kathy herself was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in late 2015, and not surprisingly, she faced it head-on. “Through her journey she has never taken the role of a victim and she was not going to succumb to this disease. She has spoken often of the advances that have come from funds raised through Susan G. Komen and the 3-Day, but that there is more work to do.” Since her diagnosis, Kathy committing to growing her 3-Day team even more, and this year, they were the fourth highest fundraising team in Seattle. Kathy was the Survivor Speaker in the Friday camp show in Seattle as well.
The Michigan 3-Day’s Top Training Walk Leader for 2016 is Janice Shore. Janice has been a 3-Day participant and training walk leader for 8 years, and this year, she hosted 41 training walks with 162 attendees. Janice, who describes herself as stubborn, is known as someone who keeps going no matter what. So on training walks and the event, she’s always telling people to “do as I say, not as I do,” as far as listening to your body.
Ten-year-old Dylan Rawlins from Silver Spring, MD, who was recognized as the top Youth Corps fundraiser in Friday’s camp show, raised an amazing $4,513 for the Michigan 3-Day this year. This is Dylan’s first year on Youth Corps.
Amy Nadeau from the Camp Services crew team is Michigan’s Top Crew Fundraiser, bringing in $8,021 this year, for a lifetime total of $79,491. Wow! Amy has been part of the 3-Day for 11 years, with this year’s Michigan walk being her 12th event. “I have always said my purpose in life is to make everyone else feel tall…and I do it really, really well!”
Huge thanks and congratulations to Bert Stein, the Michigan 3-Day’s top individual fundraiser. This year’s walk is Bert’s 12th 3-Day, and he alone raised an astonishing $22,559 this year. His lifetime fundraising total over the last 12 years is equally remarkable: $218,785. Bert’s friend of 45 years and his 3-Day walking buddy, Sye, says Bert is the Energizer Bunny: he winds him up and lets him go. Bert gets up at 5:30 AM every day and never seems to stop. At age 83, Bert is in the process of retiring from being a CPA.
Michigan’s 2016 Milestone Award winner is Amy Nadeau, who was also the top crew fundraiser. Amy has participated for 11 years, always as part of the crew, often as a crew captain; she has never walked, but her husband did last year to celebrate her 10 years as a survivor. The fact that Amy has never been required to raise any money makes her lifetime total of over $73,000 that much more remarkable. But Amy remains humble, never taking credit for her fundraising, always saying, “I work with very generous people.” She leads with love and humor and her crew teams adore her. Amy first signed up to do the 3-Day when she and her husband saw a TV commercial for it six months after Amy completed her breast cancer treatment. Her advice to walkers is: “Don’t be too concerned about walking every step. It is more important to take the time to savor the experience–you will never have another experience quite like this. You’ve done the hard part with your training and fundraising; now enjoy!”
For the Michigan 3-Day, the 2016 Local Impact Award was presented to Rhoni Hamel. Rhoni has been part of the 3-Day for 11 years, with this Michigan walk marking her 12th event, and she has raised a lifetime total of $54,692. Rhoni’s enthusiasm and commitment for the 3-Day reaches far beyond the event weekend itself and her own personal fundraising and training. She has said that from the moment Closing Ceremony is over, she is counting down the days, hours and minutes until her next Opening Ceremony. Rhoni is a dedicated supporter of the Michigan 3-Day year-round. Ann Love, the Local Events Coach in Michigan who presented the award to Rhoni, is especially grateful for her help with street team activities in the months before the walk. An ambitious fundraiser, Rhoni is currently coordinating a fundraising cruise trip that will donate a portion of the proceeds directly to Komen. In addition, each year she gives of her own time and money to shuttle traveling walkers to and from the airport on 3-Day week so that they do not have to incur additional expense to get to their hotels. It is not unusual for her to make 5 or 6 trips (it was 9 this year!) a day—up to 6-10 hours of driving—to the airport once the event draws close. Rhoni’s fellow participant Robin said about her friend, “What a wonderful lady. She amazes me! I love the shuttle she runs to the 3-Day from the airport, which costs people nothing except ‘a big 3-Day hug,’ in her words. When I walk and I’m tired and I feel I just can’t keep going, I see her and I can walk 20 more miles. She’s just amazing and a true 3-Day sister.”