2018 Philadelphia 3-Day Route Preview

The Philly 3-Day is coming up this weekend, and it’s going to be an amazing three days for walking, having fun, and making memories. Our whole 3-Day team can’t wait to host our walkers, crew, volunteers and supporters for a wonderful weekend together! This year will be full of changes for our Philadelphia 3-Day family and Event Manager Melanie Toner is giving us a sneak peak of what to expect!

“All three days are brand new! Their order is new, and most of the routes are new as well. We’re thrilled about the changes!” Melanie enthuses. “We’ve tried hard to highlight new areas of the city with this updated route. You’ll see different parts of the city each day.”

Those route changes start on Friday morning with the Opening Ceremony, which will take place at our home hotel: the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing.

Melanie says, “We’re taking what is normally an outdoor event and putting it in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel. There will be elements unique to Philadelphia because it will be our first-ever indoor Opening Ceremony.”

After the Opening Ceremony, walkers will head west across the city through historic Philly to University City. We will pass Independence Hall early in the day, which will be a great way to start our walk. Walkers will then go through Rittenhouse Square; which Melanie promises is gorgeous!

From there, the new route takes walkers out to Fairmont Park, with the “Please, Touch!” Museum which will be fun for all. It’s also a great place to recommend to family members who might be coming into town to support their 3-Dayer and looking for something extra fun to do.

From East Fairmont Park, walkers will head back towards the Hilton and go into Penn Treaty Park along the river. They’ll also cross Strawberry Mansion Bridge, a beautiful location and Melanie’s favorite photo spot of the day!

After Day One, walkers will return to our new 3-Day camp at the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing. Camp is indoors this year, and the extra comfort that provides will be the perfect end to both Friday and Saturday’s walks.

“We will still have the 3-Day Lounge, the massage chairs and all those camp elements that everyone loves! You can expect to have communal dining and all the magic of 3-Day Main Street. You will have everything you love, but with controlled temperatures and all the perks and comforts of hotel life,” says Melanie. “We think our walkers and crew are going to love having the hotel showers, cushy beds and TV options to come home to after enjoying all of 3-Day camp.”

You might not want to leave your comfortable bed on the morning of Day Two, but it will be worth it!

There will be lots of similar sights to those in years past, including walking from the Hilton across the city, with a stop right in front of the Philly Museum of Art. That means you can kick off Saturday with a photo op at the Rocky statue!

Walkers will then head along the Schuylkill River with a lunch stop at Bala Cynwyd Park. This was our past lunch stop in 2016 and will be a beautiful and relaxing spot. Plus, it gives a sneak peek of the Philly suburbs.

After lunch, walkers will make their way back towards the Hilton through Belmont Plateau, where you’ll see some of the best views of the city skyline! 3-Dayers will also walk through the Philadelphia Zoo, though it will be along a different route than in year’s past, so you will make lots of new furry friends!

After another cozy night back at your hotel, Day Three will begin with a walk through Elfreth’s Alley, which has some of the oldest homes in Philly – and even the country. It’s very historic and beautiful! Franklin Square will be another stop for more American history, which you can find all weekend long.

Melanie advises, “Look out for blue placards on buildings and statues! Those denote a historical site. They make it easy to brush up on your American history as you walk!”

There will be a pit stop at Clark Park, and then walkers will loop back across the city, enjoying the Italian Market, plus both Pat’s and Geno’s Philly Cheesesteaks. Choose your favorite…or have both!

The second half of Day Three is very similar to last year and the Closing Ceremony will be in the same location at The Navy Yard. From there, we will be celebrating three glorious days, and 60 difference-making miles under the Philadelphia sun!

Never Giving Up: Meet Nikki S., Former AVON 39 Walker

Nikki (left) and her Aunt Lynne

“My aunt was a mother figure to me. She had a huge hand in raising me, teaching me right from wrong, explaining all the joys of being a woman (lol), and so much more. She was my biggest supporter, my biggest fan, and wasn’t afraid to tell it how it is. Honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve turned out if it wasn’t for having her and my uncle in my life.”

Many of our 3-Dayers have lost loved ones to breast cancer, but that never makes hearing their stories any easier. It just adds to the motivation, focus, and determination to finding a cure. No one knows this better than Nikki S., who has been both a 3-Day and AVON 39 walker in the past.

She will be returning to the 3-Day this year in memory of her aunt and godmother, Lynne. Having walked in Boston in the past, Nikki knew she could not hang up her walking shoes after the AVON 39 left her home state, and so will be journeying to Philadelphia this September to walk for a cure. Coach Tisho is already “so excited to introduce her to the rest of our family,” and Nikki echoes that excitement as well.

“I am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the cause. Even with AVON no longer being offered, I needed to continue walking in my Auntie Lynne’s honor.”

Lynne’s husband, Nikki’s uncle

Her Aunt Lynne was first diagnosed with breast cancer when Nikki was young, and watching her courageous fight inspired Nikki to first join the 3-Day when she was in college.

“Being a stupid college student, I was pretty confident that I could walk the 60 miles without training AND wearing sneakers I had bought the week before. Funny, huh?! I made it through the first day and a half, until I couldn’t walk through the blisters anymore. I had to shuttle back to camp and call my aunt to come pick me up! We had a good laugh, and she was still proud of me for raising the money, supporting the cause, and trying.”

A few years later, Lynn’s cancer had progressed to metastatic stage 4, found in her lungs and throughout her bones. Nikki began walking the AVON 39 in Boston for Lynne. Sadly, in 2016, Lynne lost her battle — and Nikki lost her dear aunt.

Nikki and her uncle

When asked to describe the importance of the 3-Day, and breast cancer walks, she recalled memories of those tough times.

“Watching my Aunt’s health quickly deteriorate; Hearing her wish she could just go back to work and have normalcy; Having her there to listen to my “bad days” and offer advice, while she never complained about her treatment; Wanting more time and more of her advice; Seeing my Grammy and Grampy lose their first born; Watching my Uncle grieve the loss of his ‘bride’ after their 28 years of marriage and a lifetime of love; The heartbreak that my daughter still goes through, missing her Auntie.”

It is heartbreak that motivates Nikki and keeps her working towards a cure.

She’ll be heading to Philadelphia as a Super Fundraiser (she has raised more than $20,000 in total over the years for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® and the AVON 39) and has a unique success strategy to reach her fundraising goals.

“I would like to surpass my fundraising from last year. I had organized and hosted a very successful comedy show fundraiser, and hope to do the same this year. It was a great experience, and a great way to attack my fundraising goal.”

We are honored to welcome Nikki back to the 3-Day family this year. Alongside Nikki, we walk for Auntie Lynne. We will never give up.

“We can do more together” Meet Lenore C., Former AVON 39 Walker

Lenore (in blue) with her teammates

This year, our 3-Dayers will see some new faces on walks across the country. That is because we are going to be welcoming walkers from AVON 39 into our pink family — and what a welcome addition they will be! Every new participant, from AVON 39 or any other source, is another warrior in our fight against breast cancer.

One new walker who has already joined the 3-Day® is Lenore C., who, along with some of her past AVON 39 teammates, will be walking the Philadelphia 3-Day. Lenore was born in Philly, and her family still lives there, so she is especially excited to be returning home for a cause she loves.

lenore walk

“I’m excited to walk for freedom from breast cancer in the town that freedom built, and to be cheered on by (sort of) a home crowd.”

And how does she feel about making the switch from the AVON 39 walk (a two-day, 39-mile breast cancer walk that ended in 2017) to our 60-mile 3-Day? She is taking the new challenge on with enthusiasm and motivation!

Lenore

“When I saw Susan G. Komen was reaching out to AVON 39-ers, I felt a kinship and felt welcome. We are all in this together, after all. I have always known we can do more together than we could ever do alone. We can cure this thing! I’m walking so that one day, soon, daughters and sons will wonder what was breast cancer the same way they wonder what the heck we’re talking about when we mention rotary phones.”

She, and three members (so far) of her team, Team Transformation, will be making the journey from New York to Pennsylvania in pursuit of this goal. They are excited to join the 3-Day family, and have already begun training and fundraising together. Lenore plans to raise at least $5,000 but secretly has a goal of hitting $7,500.

How is she working to hit that goal? She’s doing it with teamwork!

Team Transformation has been combining training and fundraising with fun, local events in their community. “Bake sale, walk. Grocery store setup, walk. Talent show, walk. Joy of Walking class then a walk.”

lenore Transformational seminar

When they can’t walk together, they even FaceTime as they train separately. Anything to keep the family feel of their team alive. If she has to walk alone, Lenore listens to audiobooks to stay motivated, and gets in training whenever she can, be it early morning, late night, or even at lunch. After years on 39-mile weekends, she knows that training will be more important than ever for the 3-Day.

She is following the “your goal will become your warm up” mentality, using social media and apps to track her training while she breaks in her walking shoes, stretches her muscles, and gets ready for one of her favorite weekends of the year.

lenore smile

She walks, and will keep walking… always. For herself, and for all the warriors and More Than Pink® people in her own life.

“Geri, my stepmom, 15 years a survivor, is More Than Pink! My mom, Jean, one of the strongest, most compassionate women I know is More Than Pink! And following their model strength, so is their daughter: I am More Than Pink! Ariel and Shya Kane, with their support for seeing the brilliance in all people, are More than Pink!”

We are so happy to welcome Lenore, Team Transformation, and all our future 3-Day family members to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day family with open arms!