Joel R. is the 2023 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Crew Impact Award Winner!

Joel R. is a beloved member of the Route Safety Crew and can be described as compassionate, generous, patient, and respectful. A radiant being with supreme character, Joel’s “leadership and work on crew isn’t just a day of volunteering… it’s an attitude of service,” says his friend Barbara B. “He dares to soar by taking on any task asked of him… one of his greatest talents is showing that nothing is impossible.” He truly embodies the spirit of the Pink Bubble and what it means to be a 3-Dayer, bringing his positive attitude to all 33 events that he’s participated in throughout the past 11 years.

Joel was awarded the Crew Impact Award at the 2023 Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day and shared a few words with us as he prepared for the event.

What was your inspiration to participate in your first 3-Day?

I was introduced to the world of breast cancer back in 2011 when one of my very close friends was diagnosed as having stage 4. Back then, I had been looking for a way to tie my enjoyment of riding a motorcycle with serving others but hadn’t been looking at charities or big events. I just knew that I wanted to find a way to help others that didn’t involve just writing a donation check or volunteering at church. One Sunday, my friend approached me and was so excited to share the experience she and her husband had at a breast cancer event the previous weekend. She told me about these “guys on motorcycles, all decked out in pink that were having a lot of fun” and how they were really encouraging and helped her make it through the weekend. She was talking about the Route Safety Crew at the Chicago 3-Day. I was intrigued and, after deciding to give it a try, was lucky enough to join the Route Safety Crew the following year.

Unfortunately, my friend battled through a couple of remission/return cycles over the next few years and passed away in January of 2017. My wife and I had the privilege of being able to spend time with her and her family and help wherever we could. Often, that just meant being at their house during treatment cycles just in case she or her family needed anything. We spent a lot of time listening to her and her husband share their emotional and familial struggles. Your heart naturally goes out to someone diagnosed with cancer, but the toll on the rest of the family really showed me how much more broad-reaching the effects of breast cancer are.

What has brought you back to the 3-Day year after year?

It’s the camaraderie between Crew and the many smiling faces of participants. You can’t help but form lasting friendships with those you’ve worked hard alongside for so many hours. Who wouldn’t want to be around an event where the math just doesn’t add up? I’m there to encourage the walkers, but I go away feeling like I’m the one who received a blessing.

What is your favorite aspect of crewing the 3-Day?

Hugs and smiles! I also have to mention how much fun it is to play in traffic! The more challenging the intersection, the better. ?

What is your best advice to anyone crewing the 3-Day?

I think it’s really important to take time to assess how you’re doing at regular intervals. The Crew is here to serve and we can do our best only when we’re not worn out or hangry. Take time throughout the day to pause for a minute and ask yourself, “If someone wiser than me came along, would they tell me I need a break?”

What’s a fun fact about you?

One of my favorite things to do is people-watch. I could sit in one spot for hours at a mall and not get bored. I’m also an introvert and basically don’t talk to my family for the few days leading up to and after the 3-Day since I have to prepare for three days of heavy social interaction. ?

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned on the 3-Day?

Always take more water than I think I’ll need with me to an intersection. The 3-Day also continues to reaffirm that serving others brings a much longer lasting joy than just receiving from others.

“His generosity is beyond compare and I could go on for pages about how generous Joel is. He is giving from his heart, without any thought to receive anything in return. He gives of his time, his knowledge, his friendship, his caring, he gives from his own wallet, he goes out of his way to help those in need and those that are even just in want. He freely uses his own resources to help in any way possible. He literally will give the shirt off his back.” —Barbara B.

Dancing Tunes from the 3-Day Safety Crew

The only thing we love more than a 3-Day pump-up song is our amazing 3-Day Crew. Both keep our walkers dancing along their 60-mile journey and provide unparalleled inspiration on the 3-Day weekend. And many times, crew members and cool tunes go hand in hand.

From dance parties at pit stops to safety Crew blasting tunes as you cross the street to the motorcycle Crew driving by and playing that much needed rendition of “Firework” to help propel you up that last hill of the day…our 3-Day Crew are music masters. So, who better to ask for musical recommendations as we gear up for the 3-Day season? We tapped all our crew members to collect the best beats in the land.

Barbara “Bebe” Boone is a regular on the 3-Day Safety Crew, and even if you don’t know her personally, you’ve likely seen her on the road. She always smiling, dancing and blowing kisses to participants as she rides by or is parked at stop lights. She, maybe more than anyone, knows how much of a difference a good song can make on the route.

“I have more than 500 songs on my 3-Day Spotify playlist. ? Three days’ worth of feet-stomping, booty-shaking, family-loving motivation. I’ve found that having a wide variety works as we have walkers, crew members and volunteers from all over the country and in every age group, so my list is from the 1920’s to today. There are always at least one or two walkers that sing along or even stop and dance as they pass.”

Want to get a taste of Bebe’s playlist, and other favorites from the 3-Day Crew? Here’s a playlist they put together, just for you:

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Also, be sure to keep an eye out for Bebe on the road in Michigan, New England Philadelphia AND San Diego this year ?

If you want more playlist inspiration, be sure to poke around on our Spotify channel for playlists from your coaches, our past events and more.

Did we miss a favorite song that the Crew has played while you were on event? Add it to the comments below so we can add it to the playlist!

NOTE: Walkers are not permitted to wear headphones or use mobile phones or texting devices while walking. It is extremely unsafe. If you need to use your phone, stop and step to the side first. And please don’t use your phone’s speaker to play music or make calls while walking.

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.

2018 Philadelphia 3-Day Family.jpg

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