2019 New England 3-Day Wrap-Up

We returned to New England with a splash this past weekend and could not have asked for a better three days on the East Coast! From Fenway to Boston Commons to the Freedom Trail and beyond, this weekend was one for the books.

Our journey began on Friday morning at our host hotel, the Revere Hotel Boston Common, with a special Opening Ceremony complete with stories from local walkers. Our survivors, and those living with breast cancer, were also honored before they led us out of the hotel and into the morning sunshine.

Our walk began through Boston Common and the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, which gave walkers a real taste of the history of the city’s architecture and environment. Everyone loved both the natural calm of the Common as well as the cobblestones and homes in Beacon Hill. From there, we entered Cambridge, passing through Riverbend and North Point parks before settling in for lunch.

The weather stayed cool for our entire first day, giving walkers great weather to make quick work of a 20-mile day! After lunch, they passed the USS Constitution (or Old Ironsides to the locals) and the Bunker Hill Monument, both of which were excellent photo opportunities as well as being peeks into the history of the city.

Before being welcomed back to our hotel camp by our amazing crew team, walkers passed L Street Tavern, which many recognized from the movie Good Will Hunting. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful Day One! 3-Day BINGO, and the much-loved Bank of America massage chairs, awaited walkers and Crew at Friday’s camp. After that, it was straight to sleep in the comfy hotel beds to be well-rested for Day Two.

Saturday dawned with bright and beautiful fall weather, perfect for another day of walking! The morning was also jam packed with historical sites, including Trinity Church, Old South Church and the Boston Public Library…all in the first mile of walking! From there, we followed the Boston Marathon route in reverse, and walkers had fun celebrating “crossing the finish line” a little early in the weekend.

From there, we walked through Brookline and Brighton before arriving at our halfway celebration at lunch. Walkers lounged on the Mohawk pink mats before jumping up to dance in our celebration flash mob with Mark as Bon Jovi blared across our lunch site.

The second half of the day began with wide smiles leftover from lunch. We headed back into Boston proper, getting more city views before taking the Commonwealth Mall path back to our hotel. The shady tree-lined avenue gave relaxing shade and a respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

When our last walker arrived back at camp, we began our emotional Honor Ceremony and saluted those who inspire and motivate us to commit three days, year after year. We walk for them, and this ceremony celebrated that commitment. Tears were shed, hugs were shared, and we went to bed feeling fulfilled and ready to take on Day Three.

Sunday was our sunniest and warmest day yet for the weekend! The day began with a walk-through the Boston Public Garden and a stop by Cheers, the bar that inspired the titular beloved TV show. It wasn’t open yet, but walkers loved stopping for a photo!

They also posed outside Fenway Park, and declared their allegiance to home teams from across the country. We missed the game that day, but in honor of New England, 3-Dayers cheered on the Red Sox in spirit.

After Fenway, we walked through Brookline and Jamaica Plain before making our way back into the Boston city limits. We passed under the Chinatown Gate and over the Charles River, even passing the site of the Boston Tea Party. Just one more historical landmark in a weekend full of them!

Our walk ended at the Lawn on D, with lots of space for friends and family to come celebrate this amazing accomplishment. Our last walkers began our Closing Ceremony with excitement, which continued as our Crew entered the ceremony area. Then, shoes were raised to honor the strength of our survivor community, and for those living with breast cancer. They are the reason we will continue to walk, and to fundraise, for a world without breast cancer.

And fundraise we did! The 1,100 walkers and 200 crew members of the New England 3-Day raised an amazing $2.9 million in the fight against breast cancer. That’s an accomplishment worth celebrating! As we danced and soaked in the moment, many walkers already registered to return to the New England 3-Day in 2020. They know that the work is not done. And though our weekend has ended, we will not stop here. We will never quit.

2018 San Diego 3-Day Wrap Up

The 3-Day headed back to the West Coast last weekend for our final 3-Day of 2018 in San Diego. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, and better times for this final 60-mile journey of the year.

Friday was dawning as we began our Opening Ceremony, which started with a speech from our Bank of America partners, who emphasized how much the 3-Day has contributed to the fight against breast cancer. This fact was emphasized by our local speakers, many of whom had personal stories of connection and inspiration in the San Diego community. Their words were still ringing in our ears as the Circle of Strength led our walkers out of the Del Mar Fairgrounds to start the day.

The inspiration and community support continued as walkers made their way through the city of Del Mar. There were local cheerleaders and businesses, the famous and beloved Toast Lady of Del Mar, and plenty of signs, flags and sparkles to keep our walkers smiling.

Then they conquered the Torrey Pines Hill, our longest hill of the weekend! They were greeted at the bottom by more cheers, and an amazing view of the California coastline. By the time they reached Pit Stop Two at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, walkers had already conquered 5.1 miles.

Walkers made their way through the University of California, San Diego campus in the afternoon and lunched at Kellogg Park along the beach.

There were more cheering stations and smiles throughout the end of Day One, before walkers headed home to camp at Crown Point Shores. Our last walker was welcomed with joy! Then, after an inspiring camp show where we honored our Bank of America Top Fundraisers for the 3-Day, all our participants tucked in for a cozy night at camp.

Day Two brought our walkers through the city of San Diego, including ocean views at Pit Stop 1 along Ocean Beach. Susan G. Komen CEO Paula Schneider joined walkers on Saturday with her family, taking on the 19.9-mile day with them.

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The ever-present San Diego Police Department kept all our walkers safe and smiling as they walked through South Shores and Tecolote Shores in Mission Bay. The Route Safety Crew was also working hard, conquering hills and boardwalks alike to make sure every walker came safely home to camp for mac n’ cheese night! We also awarded a lucky winner of the Ford Warriors in Pink giveaway, played the Newlywed Game with two 3-Dayers who were just married last week, and met our amazing San Diego Youth Corps. There couldn’t have been a better way to finish the day.

And then, suddenly, it was Day Three! The final day of the San Diego 3-Day brought more stunning ocean views before walkers came to Pit Top 1 and fun animals from San Diego Sea World as they entered Pit Stop 2. With all that fun, it was a quick 6.9 miles!

Then, after Mile 9.5, the walkers conquered the infamous Juan Street Hill. It was “Juan last hill” on their 3-Day journey, and the walkers made it look easy!

From there, they stopped for lunch at Pioneer Park and things were all downhill (literally) from there. Walkers came through downtown San Diego and arrived for their final Victory Walk at Waterfront Park. There was celebrating, smiles, dancing and lots of More Than Pink fun.

The Closing Ceremony finished out the weekend and our 2,200 walkers and 300 amazing crew were shouting loudly and proudly that in this fight against breast cancer…WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP. Thank you, San Diego. We are so very proud of each one of you.

2018 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Event Wrap Up

This past weekend, the 3-Day headed to Dallas/Fort Worth, and the home of Susan G. Komen did not disappoint! We had three sunny fall days, and even with one rainy evening, all our walkers and crew were smiling from ear to ear when they took their final Victory Walk after 60 miles.

Our journey began at a new Opening Ceremony site at Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star. This is Dallas Cowboys Headquarters, so to say it’s an iconic Dallas/Fort Worth landmark is an understatement. Walkers, crew and supporters alike all loved posing on the star and seeing photos from past Dallas/Fort-Worth 3-Days projected on the jumbo screen behind our stage.

The Opening Ceremony itself featured special speeches from our partner Bank of America, as well as an emotional testimony from Susan G. Komen CEO, Paula Schneider. She led our Circle of Strength out from the Opening Ceremony, kicking off our 60-mile journey.

The first few miles of the walk were packed full of photo ops and smiles! Walkers made their way down Star Boulevard before passing through the town of Frisco, with the town coming out in full force to cheer them on! They also passed Bank of America headquarters, where hundreds of cheering supporters were waiting to show the 3-Day some love. And all this before Pit Stop 2!

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Later in the day, the RoughRiders cheered on walkers outside Dr Pepper Ballpark and we explored Arbor Hills Nature Preserve before arriving home at camp at Brookhaven College. All in all, walkers got a real taste of the Texas spirit on Day One.

At camp, Paula Schneider congratulated our walkers during the Camp Show, and Bank of America awarded the Top Fundraisers of the Dallas/Fort-Worth 3-Day.

Team STEPS was our Top Fundraising Team and is also our largest team on the 3-Day, raising $180,167 this year. They were led by team captain Sheryl Cowan, who was our Top Individual Fundraiser. She raised $30,000 on her own this year and has raised more than $100K in her history with the 3-Day. Sandra Johnson, our Top Crew Fundraiser, raised $3,835 at this, her 17th event! Congrats to all our top fundraisers!

Day Two dawned as the perfect crisp fall day, and the walkers stopped at one of our favorite parks, Les Lacs Park in Addison, for Pit Stop 1. Day Two was shorter overall, which our walkers loved, but we still managed to see Addison Circle Park, Vitruvian Park, and the cities of Farmers Branch and Addison. It was a windy day, so all our participants were happy to return to camp after a fun day!

Night Two was stormy, and we even had a camp relocation, but the quick-acting staff and crew helped everyone relocate indoors so they could be warm and dry for the night. All our 3-Dayers met the weather with smiles and laughs and teamwork so they could get as much rest as possible for Day Three.

Day Three looked very similar to past years because it was a favorite of our walkers. We started the day with a short bus ride to the Walnut Hill Recreation Center. We then walked into Dallas through some gorgeous historic neighborhoods, full of awesome architecture and beautiful homes. We spent the day in the city of Dallas, passing iconic sites like Dealey Plaza, the Giant Eyeball sculpture (great for photos!), the Omni and more. It was the perfect final day!

The Participant Finish Area and the Closing Ceremony were both at The Lawn at Reunion Tower, where we were happy to announce that our amazing Dallas/Fort-Worth walkers and crew had raised a staggering $1.7 million in the fight against breast cancer! Thank you, Dallas/Fort-Worth…you are truly More Than Pink!