3-Day Philadelphia Route Preview

We can’t believe it’s already October! That means it’s time to head to the East Coast for our Philly 3-Day. It’s going to be an amazing three days of walking, having fun, and making memories. Our 3-Day team can’t wait to host our walkers, crew, volunteers and supporters for a wonderful weekend together! But, before you pack your bags, Event Manager Melanie Toner is giving us a sneak peak of what to expect.

“We’re thrilled to bring back much of the route that people loved last year,” Melanie enthuses. “We’ve tried hard to continue to highlight new areas of the city, so you can see different parts of Philadelphia each day. If you loved last year’s route, you will be happy again this year.”

We will once again begin our journey with our Opening Ceremony at our hotel camp, the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing. We are so excited to be back at the location that was so lovely to our 3-Dayers last year.

Plus, as Melanie reminded us, “The hotel is right on the water, so it’s really beautiful!”

After the Opening Ceremony, walkers will head west across the city through historic areas of Philadelphia to University City. We will go through Rittenhouse Square early in the day, which Melanie promises is gorgeous!

Other highlights are the “Please Touch” Museum and an amazing cheering station at Smith Memorial Playground. The afternoon will also include a walk along the picturesque Concourse Lake Trail, which also has its own cheering station.

At the end of the day, walkers will return to our 3-Day hotel camp at the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing. Camp is indoors again this year, and the extra comfort that provides will be the perfect end to both Friday and Saturday’s walks. Melanie is also glad for the comfort of the hotel, given that Philadelphia’s weather can be a little unpredictable in the fall.

“We are putting out good vibes to Mother Nature for continued good weather! But, just in case, we are glad to be able to offer a comfy hotel bed to keep you warm, dry and well rested again in 2019.”

There will be lots of similar sights to those in years past on Day Two, including a stop at the Liberty Bell within the first mile of the day. There will also be tons of community support out on the route, including a cheering station at the Gillin Boathouse.

We will also be stopping right in front of the Philly Museum of Art. That means you can celebrate Saturday with a photo op at the Rocky statue! The Philadelphia Zoo is also once again supporting 3-Dayers on Day Two. You can also expect some surprises throughout the weekend to make this weekend extra fun!

And then Sunday will be here before you know it! There will be some changes to the Day Three route due to our new closing site on Shoemaker Green at the University of Pennsylvania. Melanie can’t wait to make the most of this new ending location.

“I love it because it’s such an intimate and beautiful site where we can all gather together. The space will make it feel like more of a celebration as we wrap up the event as one community. Plus, it’s at the University of Pennsylvania, and two of the grantees who have benefited from the 3-Day’s fundraising dollars are right in that area as well. The University of Pennsylvania and the Wistar Institute are both Komen grantees, so we are honored to be able to celebrate right next door to those amazing institutions.”

But even with the changes, we will still have all the highlights you know and love, including views of Independence Hall and a cheering station along Broad Street that will put a big Day Three smile on the faces of our walkers. There will also be cheesesteaks at Pat & Geno’s, a walk along the Italian Market and more.

Melanie says, “You will still have all your Philly favorites, just in a different order. We really tried to keep all the elements that our walkers have come to expect and love to see!”

After Pat & Geno’s we will head back north towards the University of Pennsylvania for our Finish Line Festival and Closing Ceremony, where we will be celebrating three glorious days, and 60 difference-making miles under the Philadelphia sun!

Melanie encourages our Philadelphia 3-Dayers to soak in every moment of the weekend ahead and can’t wait to welcome you all to the City of Brotherly Love.

“I want everyone to feel proud of what we have done here. I was the first Philadelphia staff member hired back in 2004, and it has been so amazing to see this walk come full circle this year. I feel so much pride and I want all our participants to feel that way, too. We have given people hope and inspiration at a time in their lives that could have been very dark. We have worked so hard and we have so much to be proud of. We can not thank the people and city of Philadelphia enough.”

We Crew for MaMa Tutu: Meet Ken and Kris Kauker

The sign says it all!

Eight family members. More than 30 events. Walkers, crew, youth corps, walker stalkers. The Kauker and Lawrie families have the 3-Day running through their veins. And that includes Ken and Kris Kauker. Most Philadelphia 3-Dayers know them as the TuTu Brothers and remember their fun outfits and wide smiles as they ride by while on the Safety Crew.

They are just a small part of a true family movement to support the 3-Day’s mission, in memory of their mother, Julie Kauker (MaMa TuTu), who passed away from inflammatory breast cancer in 2011. With Mother’s Day this Sunday, Ken and Kris are giving us a deeper look at their family’s dedication to the 3-Day, and the love for their parents that started it all.

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Meet the Kauker/Lawrie family (TuTu family) members…

Our family of five was always a close family. We did everything together: family camping on the weekends, participating and watching sporting events, vacations to local destinations, working behind-the-scene at our local community theatre and even performing as a colonial family at local historic sites.

Thankfully, many of those things we still do. And yes, still as a family. At the head of the family were our parents. Mom and Dad (MaMa and PaPa TuTu) were involved with everything the family did. No one family member would ever end up being the only one. This goes for everything we do. If one of us is involved, we are all involved.

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And then in 2006, everything changed…

When our Mom was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, she wasn’t the only one getting ready for the battle. We were all involved with every aspect of the treatments, doctor’s visits, hospital stays and everything else that goes along with it. She didn’t go anywhere alone. Someone was always there taking notes, holding all the paperwork, asking all the questions and anything else we could do to make things a little easier.

Things moved quickly through chemo treatments, surgeries, and radiation treatments. We describe the days after a diagnosis like riding a roller coaster. There were the days of climbing the hills. There were the days of flying down the hill. There were the days of screaming around curves. There were days of being turned upside down. There were days when all we could do is hold on and scream in fear. But, like with all rollercoasters, the ride came to an end.

With the help of countless doctors and countless nurses, Mom was given a clean bill of health and the road to recovery was complete. And just like riding a rollercoaster, we laughed and were joyous that the ride was over.

2016 Philadelphia 3Day

From there, the family began to move forward…

With everything behind us, it was a radio commercial that sparked the realization to pay it forward and the medium in which to do it. The commercial was for the Philadelphia 3-Day that would be taking place in October. It was this commercial that pushed our family into the realm of the 3-Day family.

And they never looked back…

Our 3-Day family has been with us since 2008. They’ve been there when we needed them and when we didn’t know we needed them. They were there when our Mom passed away and again 10 months later when our Dad passed away. They provided the light down the dark passages that cancer and losing someone forces you to go down. Every city that we’ve crewed has welcomed all of us with loving, open arms and made us a part of their family.

The Philadelphia 3-Day may be our home event, but when it comes down to it, the Crew is a part of every walk, no matter what city it takes place in.

That means our family is always part of the 3-Day, no matter where we are.

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Spread the love this Mother’s Day to the special women in your own life! You can share a personalized love note with your mom this Mother’s Day and Susan G. Komen will then share one with a mother facing breast cancer. komen.org/withlovexoxo

Meet Your Philadelphia 3-Day Coach

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In 2004, one of Carol’s family friends passed away from inflammatory breast cancer, only 6 months after she was diagnosed. That was a moment that changed Carol’s life, because it prompted her to sign up for the 3-Day the minute she saw a commercial for the walk. Though she wasn’t able to participate until a few years later due to pregnancy (and the awesome kids that followed), she has had the 3-Day in her life ever since that year.

Over the years she has formed lasting friendships with 3-Day participants and continued to be exposed to more people in her own life who were directly affected by breast cancer. She’s learned the importance of the event, and the work that Susan G. Komen does year-round, which led her to want to be more involved in the 3-Day. And this year, she achieved that goal when she became our new Philadelphia 3-Day coach! She is already jazzed for the fall, and to engage with all our participants in a new way.

If you haven’t met her on the 3-Day yet, get to know her now, before she helps you tackle those 60 miles in Philly.

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What are some of your favorite 3-Day memories?

Favorite memories are so hard to choose from 12 years of events, but here goes!

First, the Closing Ceremony when I received a gift of earrings from a walker I did not even know. The song “Suddenly I See” became my inspiration after that, thanks to that happy memory.
An interaction with a very dear woman who taught me the importance of being your own best advocate. Her family continues to remind me of the goodness that exists in the world, when you shut out all the other noise.
Strangers becoming friends and pulling together to support one another in difficult times.

How did you find your way to the coaching job this past fall?

I found my way to the coaching job through not only my passion for the event, but my outgoing personality and can-do attitude. I was blessed with the opportunity. I have walked, I have crewed, I have volunteered, I have made myself available to the 3-Day as I will make myself available to its participants.

Carol 6

What are you most excited for the 2019 event?

The thing that I am looking forward to the most is to the opportunity to share my passion with others. I also look forward to making new connections and hearing new stories and helping others make new lasting connections.

What do you love most about the 3-Day Crew?

They give selflessly of themselves day after day, and whether it is their first event or their 20^th event, they continue to give of themselves without asking for anything in return.

What are you top training tips for walkers?

Training is KEY and it’s also important to find the correct shoe/sock combination. Be sure to train in all types of weather and elevation if you can.
It is a walk not a race, so take your time and do not forget to stretch at every opportunity.
Hydration is SO important. Drink a lot and encourage others to do the same.

If someone is nervous about doing the 3-Day for the first time, what would you say to them?

I would share with them that not only are they not alone in that emotion, but that they will never be alone on the event. On the 3-Day we are one community that unites together for a common goal. No one walks alone and no one gets left behind. You will always be supported. Do not ever be afraid to ask for help because there will always be someone there for you.

In 2019, we are asking people to #COMMIT3DAYS …What does commitment mean to you?

To commit 3 days means that you are committing to the cause. I am committing myself to do what I can so that others are successful in their goals. We can all do this together!

What are some things your 3-Dayers should know about you?

I never shy away from a challenge! And I put my all into everything I do. ? Plus, I hear I look great in pink! ?

Carol 2