Tales from a Slumber Party Tent: Kendall C., San Diego 3-Day Walker

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Glamping is a huge part of the 3-Day experience, and our fields of pink tents are always a welcome sight for participants after a long day out on the 3-Day trail. Last year, though, participants had the opportunity to upgrade their glamping experience even further with our Slumber Party tents! Complete with air mattresses, a friendly doormat, camp chairs and more, they were a special reward for those who had recruited two new walkers to our pink family.

And they’ll be back in 2018! Open to walkers and crew, if you recruit two new 3-Day walkers by May 31, you can have a big pink slumber party on-event! You and your pals can celebrate your 60-mile journey in a Slumber Party Tent, a large tent that sleeps up to 4, complete with air mattresses, sheets, pillows, camp chairs and a phone charger. We can promise it will be tons of fun, especially because you’ll have your friends with you on the walk. Don’t take our word for it though! Kendall C., who walked her first 3-Day last year, got the luxury of spending her weekend in the Slumber Party Tent with her teammates from The Divine Sisters of the Ta-Ta Sisterhood…and she’s already trying to recruit friends for 2018 so she can be back in that tent again in November!

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“I’m always telling people how much I loved it and how it’s an experience I will never forget. Actually, one of the best in my life!”

Part of that was thanks to her team, who recruited her as part of their neighborhood team. Kendall walked for her three friends who have all been diagnosed with breast cancer, but didn’t know when she signed up that she would be sleeping in the Slumber Party Tent. Talk about an extra perk!

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“The tent was SO much larger than we anticipated and the air mattresses and pillows were such a treat to have! I also couldn’t believe there were chairs, which we loved having at the end of the day to relax in. We also would bring all our chairs together to hang out in the evening before bed. I also remember a welcome doormat, and a little table complete with a fake succulent! I mean, that is glamping in my book and I’ll take it any day! To top it all off, there was a cell phone charger we ALL got to use, even at the same time. We were so, so happy to have the Slumber Party tent and it completely made our camping experience perfect!”

Kendall says all the special touches made the experience all the more enjoyable, and encourages everyone to recruit and try to earn their own Slumber Party Tent experience this year. It brought her team even closer together, especially as they decorated the larger tent. Her tent won the decoration contest for its “All I Want for Christmas is a Cure” theme, which Kendall is still glowing with pride over.

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“When else can you decorate a tent while camping with your girlfriends?! It even heightened the excitement we already had for the walk. We put tons of Christmas lights on it and you could probably see our tent from a mile away! Once we had our theme, “All I Want for Christmas is a Cure,” we could not stop buying pink Christmas decorations. We had pink stockings (with our names in glitter of course), pink garland, pink Christmas trees, and I even wrapped presents in pink paper! It was really fun to come up with all the ideas with my tent mates too.”

Her enthusiasm for all things 3-Day extends beyond her decorating success last year, and right into her training and recruiting goals for this year as well.

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“I am still riding on the high from last year’s walk! It completely exceeded my expectations in every way. The training brought an entire new group of friends my way and I looked forward to every training walk with them. I loved feeling a part of something and felt like I was making a difference! I was raising awareness and fundraising at the same time and that felt good.

The walk itself was also so much fun! The 3-Day crew took such amazing care of us and we always had everything we needed. Whether it was food or drink, help from the medics, our amazing tents, and they even hosted an amazing family night. I really loved every minute and once I start telling somebody about my experience, I just can’t stop!”

Want to join Kendall in 2018? Register now…and then get recruiting! Go to The3Day.org/Refer for all the details and get the Recruitment ID you need to recruit two friends to walk 60 miles with you by May 31st, and you could be enjoying your very own Slumber Party Tent!

Coaches’ Corner: New Year’s Resolution Check-In

January is over, and we are one month into the New Year. How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along? Sometimes it takes a few tries for a new habit to stick, or to reach a big goal, but that’s okay! Trying is important too, and when you can check a resolution off your list, you’ll feel even prouder if it’s something you really worked for.

We asked some of our coaches what they wanted to accomplish this year, and how they are putting in the work. Read below to see what some of them want to accomplish in 2018… and give them some encouragement! Then, add your own resolutions below in the comments…

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Stephanie Mayer – Programs & Local Events Coach, Twin Cities and Atlanta (middle)

2017 San Diego 3-Day Round-Up

The 3-Day headed south for our final event of the year, and was welcomed to California and the West Coast with open arms! We started our Friday morning with a little liquid sunshine, followed by an amazing double rainbow, as the Opening Ceremony began. Our 2,200 walkers and 325 crew started their journey with an inspiring and emotional Opening Ceremony led by local participants.

The walkers filed out of the iconic Del Mar Fairgrounds and into the community, where they were greeted by tons of local cheering stations and support. By Mile 3, they also passed the famous “Toast Lady,” one of our favorite walker stalkers, who toasted all the walkers as they passed.

Then they conquered the Torrey Pines Hill, our biggest 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 Two at the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, walkers had already conquered 5.1 miles.

Walkers made their way through the University of Southern 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 Park.

Day Two started with a walk along the water just outside of camp, and another hill in downtown San Diego. Walkers reached the top with smiles on their faces though, because they had already clocked 4 miles on the day.

Before lunch, they stopped at Pit 3 at Dog Beach South, and our walkers loved seeing all the four-legged 3-Day fans. Then, they took a break at lunch on our comfy pink Mohawk Mats and kept loose by dancing with the San Diego Police Department.

We also met our amazing Youth Corps at lunch, and walkers were greeted with hundreds of pink blooms as they left lunch.

From there, they traveled through Bonita Cove and South Mission Beach Park before coming back home to camp. It was Friends & Family night at camp, complete with an evening dance party! Many of our walkers also visited our Remembrance Tents to honor loved ones lost.

Day Three started with a quick 4.4 miles before arriving at Pit Stop 1 at De Anza Cove Park. From there, walkers wound their way through the picturesque San Diego neighborhoods and climbed the infamous San Juan Street Hill for amazing city views.

The second half of the day passed quickly, with stops at Balboa Park before coming to a close at Waterfront Park along the bay. Walkers celebrated with hugs, smiles and dancing as they completed their 60-mile journey.

After all of our walkers crossed our beautiful pink finish line, we celebrated together at Closing Ceremony. As the sun set on our 3-Day season, there was much to be proud of, given that our amazing 2,200 walkers and 325 crew members raised $6.5 million this weekend!

Our journey is never truly done, though, as was evidenced throughout our closing ceremony. We are all still working, and walking, towards Susan G. Komen’s Bold Goal to reduce the nation’s 40,000 breast cancer deaths by 50 percent by 2026.

As we hugged and celebrated and danced together, one message rang loud and clear; that though our feet may ache, our spirit and dedication will live forever; through aches, and pain, and blisters. We are shouting loudly and proudly that in this fight, where we seek to live in a world free of breast cancer, WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP. Thank you, San Diego. We are so very proud of each and every one of you.

If you’re ready to be a part of this incredible journey again in 2018, sign up now at The3Day.org/Register.