Jessica’s Story: From Lifelong Komen Volunteer to Survivorship and Walking the 3-Day

Jessica P. and her two daughters at a Susan G. Komen event.

When Jessica P. participates in the Susan G. Komen Tampa Bay 3-Day® in 2027, she’ll walk with nearly three decades of connection to the Komen community. First as a teenage volunteer and now as a two-time breast cancer survivor.

A Lifelong Connection to Komen

Jessica became involved with Susan G. Komen® at just 14 years old while completing community service hours for the National Honor Society. What started as volunteer hours during high school evolved into something that would give her a deep sense of purpose.

“It was a really empowering place to be when I was young,” Jessica said. “I remember after volunteering at the West Palm Beach Race for the Cure events, my parents would pick me up and I would tell them about all of the inspiring stories I heard.”

Jessica continued volunteering with Komen in West Palm Beach, Florida, into adulthood. She got married, had a family and continued to participate in annual Komen events through volunteering and walking — often bringing her family along.

For years, she stayed closely connected to the mission that first inspired her as teenager.

Jessica P. and her baby at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure around the time of her breast cancer diagnosis.

When the Mission Became Personal

Then in 2019, the cause she had spent years supporting suddenly became extremely personal when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I honestly didn’t think it would happen to me. I had a 5-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old daughter whom I immediately had to stop nursing when I was diagnosed,” Jessica said. “It was an added emotional and physical strain that nothing could have prepared me for.”

Just two years later, in 2021, Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. Her treatments included a double mastectomy, reconstruction surgeries, radiation therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy due to surgery complications.

Finding Strength Through Community

Even during her most difficult moments, Jessica said she found strength in the women she had encountered within the Komen community over the years.

“Through volunteering for Komen, I had been around breast cancer for so many years and I saw the survivorship. I saw the women holding the signs that said 20-plus years, 30-plus years,” Jessica said. “So, if they could be strong enough, I knew I could do it, too.”

Jessica P. and her husband and daughters at a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure event.

Giving Back

In September, Jessica will celebrate five years of survivorship.

Today, she continues to show up for Komen as a passionate fundraiser preparing for her first 3-Day. After spending decades hearing stories from participants and survivors, she understands firsthand the impact that every dollar raised can make.

“After I was diagnosed, it kind of flipped something inside of me,” Jessica said. “My almost 45-year-old self went back to being 14 or 15, remembering those stories and those women. It lit a fire inside me. I knew I had to help.”

Successful Tips for Fundraising

As Jessica reflects on the fundraising lessons she’s gathered over the years, her advice for fellow participants is simple but powerful:

Reach out to previous donors and always send a personal thank you.

Never underestimate the power of Facebook and social media to connect with potential donors and supporters.

Add a personal touch and share your story honestly.

Don’t be afraid to go out to your community and ask for a donation.

Use tools like QR codes to make donating simple and accessible.

Remember, every dollar counts.

Jessica has raised nearly $77,000 through her participation in Komen events. She hopes her story reminds others that every step, every story and every donation has the power to make a lasting impact.

To learn more about the 3-Day, visit the3day.org.

Walking 60 Miles for the Mom They Lost Too Soon

Brooke and Kelly will walk 60 miles in November at the San Diego 3-Day to honor their mom who died from triple negative breast cancer.

This fall, sisters Brooke M. and Kelly T. will walk 60 miles at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego to honor their mom, Margie, who died from breast cancer nearly 20 years ago. She was just 51.

“On the very day we cross the 3-Day finish line, it will mark the 20 year anniversary of the day we lost our mom to triple negative breast cancer. But it still feels like yesterday,” Brooke said.

The Diagnosis

Margie and her children before she died from breast cancer.

In 2004, Margie, a loving mom of three in their 20s, was recently separated after being married for 27 years when she got the devastating news.

“She sat us down and said, ‘I’m seeing a doctor,’ and I got excited. I thought that meant she was dating,” Brooke remembers with a bittersweet smile. “But she meant she was seeing a doctor for cancer, and it hit us hard.”

Her diagnosis came shortly after a mammogram.

“She had a mammogram, and a month later, on her own self-check, she found the lump,” Brooke said. “That’s why it’s so important to do self-checks, too. Mammograms are great, but you know they don’t catch everything.” Margie before her death from breast cancer

Margie first underwent a lumpectomy, then a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Through it she remained hopeful and positive.

“We honestly believed in her positivity and thought she was going to beat it,” Brooke said.

“They told us she was in remission for about one month. Soon after the cancer metastasized to her liver,” Kelly added.

But through it all, Margie was able to be there for some of her children’s most memorable milestones.

“She was there for my sister’s wedding. She barely made it to my brother’s wedding, and then she passed away six months before mine,” Brooke said. “It was really hard because those are the moments you want your mom beside you.”

Strength That Carried On

Margie ran her own business and worked alongside two of her kids while undergoing treatment. She showed up for her clients, and for others impacted by breast cancer, until the day she had to be hospitalized.

“The treatments were hard for her, but she didn’t want to show us how hard it was,” Kelly recalled. “She stayed strong for us.”

Margie and her daughters even walked a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, a memory that inspires Brooke and Kelly today as they prepare for the San Diego 3-Day.

Margie’s Marchers

Margie at a Race for the Cure event before her death.

Brooke and Kelly are walking the 3-Day in November as Margie’s Marchers—a team named in honor of their mom, whom they remember as strong, joyful and endlessly giving. As they train for their first 3-Day walk, the sisters carry a mix of excitement, nerves and deep love for their mom who is alive in their hearts, traditions and memories.

“We know she would’ve wanted to be part of this,” Kelly said. “We can’t wait to celebrate her the whole way and be with our families at the finish line.”

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Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.

Bank of America Recognizes Rachel Brown’s Outstanding Fundraising Efforts for Susan G. Komen 3-Day®

Rachel Brown receiving her donation from Bank of America for being a top fundraiser of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.

Rachel receiving her $500 donation from Bank of America.

When Rachel Brown’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, she was immediately inspired after seeing an advertisement for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day ®, a 60-mile walk over the course of three days aimed at raising funds to help end breast cancer forever. Since then, Rachel has remained dedicated to the 3-Day, earning well-deserved recognition as a top fundraiser.

Rachel and her team, the Bouncin’ Buckeyes, have walked in the 3-Day since 2005 in various states. Rachel has completed an impressive 30 walks, often braving challenging conditions, including freezing temperatures and sideways rain in Dallas 2023, and sleeping in tents amid a rainstorm. Despite these obstacles, the team has stayed committed to supporting the 3-Day cause.

“We keep doing this because when we listen to the speakers talk about their breast cancer journeys at the opening and closing ceremonies and the walkers, it makes you realize you are making a difference,” Rachel said. “We always remember why we walk. It’s not easy to do the 3-Day, but we are really driven by wanting to make a difference.”

Rachel Brown and her team, the Bouncin' Buckeyes

Rachel and the Bouncin’ Buckeyes

To date, Rachel and the Bouncin’ Buckeyes have raised over $776,000 for the 3-Day. As an individual participant, Rachel has raised $371,461 since her first walk. Her remarkable efforts were celebrated at the 2024 San Diego 3-Day, where she was honored as the Top Individual Fundraiser at the Bank of America Celebration of Champions, earning $500 from Bank of America to support her 2025 fundraising goal.

Additionally, the Bouncin’ Buckeyes received the Small But Mighty Team Award for raising an incredible $78,500. Bank of America made a $500 donation to Rachel and her two team captains, to support their 3-Day fundraising efforts.

“When I think back to where we started and where we are now, it’s wild to see what we’ve accomplished,” Rachel said. “Receiving the Bank of America donations was awesome and really kicked-off our enthusiasm for the 2025 3-Day.”

Rachel and the Bouncin’ Buckeyes work tirelessly each year to reach their 3-Day goals. The team ranges in age from 23 to 72. Her mother, Carol, is a 20-year survivor who has walked in three 3-Days and been a crew member for 12 years. Her younger sister has also walked and crewed for the event, and her older sister supports the team at the events by making coffee runs, coordinating off-site lunches and making sure the team has everything they need to make it across the 3-Day finish line.

“There’s millions of people that could do this, but there are only thousands that will do it,” Rachel said about the 3-Day. “We are a unique and amazing group of people who do this because we want to help. If it were easy, everyone would do it.”

Rachel along the 3-Day route

Rachel says she is overwhelmingly grateful to the generous supporters who donate to her team year after year and make reaching the 3-Day fundraising goals possible.

Bank of America has been a Susan G. Komen ® partner since 2009, and serves as the National Presenting Sponsor of the Komen 3-Day ®, Race for the Cure ® and MORE THAN PINK Walk® events in the U.S. Bank of America also helps support Komen through its Pink Ribbon Banking Affinity products, which has raised over $14 million to date.

To learn more about the 3-Day visit the3day.org.

To donate to Rachel’s 3-Day fundraiser visit the3day.org/goto/rachelbrown2025.