The Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day Honors Our Opening Ceremony Speakers

We began our 2016 Komen 3-Day with an inspiring and beautiful Opening Ceremony as the sun rose above the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Crew members, walkers, and supporters joined their hearts and hopes in the shared promise of bringing about the end of breast cancer, one footstep at a time. Take some time to get to know our Opening Ceremony speakers.

Kara Corridan & Trish Jansen – My Friend

We lost two of our childhood friends, Kelly and Linda, in the last year. They were both 44 when they died and both had triple-negative breast cancer. They also have five children between them, ages 5 to 18. We are walking to help fund research and prevent another family from the heartbreak that Kelly’s and Linda’s families are going through. I’m Kara, and I’m Trish, and we ARE the 3-Day.

Allison Lustig – My Aunt

Ten years ago, my family and I began our 3-Day journey in honor and support of my Aunt Judy’s victory with breast cancer. Today,
I begin my 14th event as a first-time walker, in celebration of her 15th year of being cancer free! I will walk with her strength, determination, courage and love. I’m Allison and I am the 3-Day.

Becky Izadi – My Father

I walk in honor of my father, Ron Lewis, who lost his battle to breast cancer 5 years ago. I’m here to bring awareness to the effect this disease has on men, as well as women. Before he passed away, my father urged me to seek early testing, and as a result I discovered that I TOO had breast cancer. Thanks to my superhero, I will live a longer, healthier life. Love you, Dad! I’m Becky and I AM the 3-Day.

Emmanuel Bryant – My Mother

I’m thankful to be here surrounded by my 3-Day family. I joined the 3-Day last year in Seattle, and after the first day, I knew this was something I wanted to keep doing. I walk in memory of my Mom, JeRhonda Lynem. I also walk for every woman, man and child that has been affected by breast cancer. I’m Kentucky and I am the 3-Day.

Mike Hattrup – My Wife

This will be my sixth 3-Day supporting my wife and Team Michelle, but my first time walking! Instead of cheering from the sidelines, I decided to walk this year beside my wife, who has been battling breast cancer off and on for the last three years. I’m proud to be part of this great team of fighters! I’m Mike and I AM the 3-Day.

Helen Hall – My Sister

This is my 18th walk with my sister who is a 37-year breast cancer survivor. I walk because I believe that one day there will be a cure for breast cancer. I’m Helen and I AM the 3-Day.

Where We’ve Been – A Collection of the 2014 3-Day Journey Maps

You’ve signed up for your very first Susan G. Komen 3-Day® and are anxious to know where the route will take you.
You’ve walked in the Komen 3-Day before, but are venturing to a new location this year and are curious to see how the route in the new city compares to the ones you’ve done before.
You and your team know you’re going to walk in a 2015 3-Day® event but you can’t decide which one, and you want to compare the possible options.

If you fit any of these scenarios, then feast your eyes below at the Journey Maps from all seven of last year’s 3-Day events. These maps will give you a good basic overview of where the route took walkers in each location last year, including the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and camp locations.

Please remember that these are Journey Maps from the 2014 3-Day Series, and are meant to be informational overviews only, not a guarantee of where the 2015 3-Day route will take you. As we explained in our Insider’s Peek at the 3-Day Route, things can and do change from year to year. The 2015 routes in each 3-Day location are still being finalized, and maps for each 2015 3-Day event will be emailed to registered participants the week of the event.

The 2014 Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day Wrap-up

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego is one of the longest running Komen 3-Day events, and you can tell that it’s something that the entire community looks forward to all year. Set against the backdrop of the stunning Pacific coastline, the San Diego 3-Day welcomes walkers and crew members from all over the country, as well as countless local supporters, for three days of belief and hope for a world where breast cancer is no more.

Many walkers and crew awoke in the pre-dawn hours of Friday morning and faced rainy skies and an uncertain start to Day 1. But by the time Dr. Sheri took the stage for an always-inspiring Opening Ceremony, the clouds had lifted and Mother Nature treated us to a spectacular sunrise and a miraculous rainbow over the ocean as 2,400 dedicated women and men walked out of the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the first steps of their 60 mile journey. The first of many cheering stations spanned blocks of Del Mar Village, a neighborhood of pink supporters who come out in force every year. Just before the 5-mile point, walkers began the ascent up the notorious Torrey Pines hill (it’s a good thing this State Nature Reserve is so scenic!). Walkers were treated to a beach-front lunch stop at Kellogg Park. The second half of the Day 1 route boasted even more cheering stations, including the Scripps Oceanographic Institute (and all its many branches), with numerous spots along the way. The Mor Furniture supporters and a group of Wells Fargo employees from who came out from Arizona each had private cheering stations, as did La Valencia Hotel and La Jolla Beach/Tennis Club in La Jolla with their huge balloon arch. Many walkers were treated to smooches from the “Kissing Dog” and more lovely sights (and more hills…) through La Jolla, before the final approach to the 3-Day camp at the waterfront Crown Point Shores park.

The Friday night dining tent was warmed up with high-energy entertainment by walkers/singers Eve and Mattie, followed by the Friday night camp show, where male breast cancer survivor Lee Giller moved the audience with his story. We recognized some outstanding 3-Day participants, including the Milestone Award winner, top training walk leader, and top fundraisers.

Walkers set out along the water from camp on Day 2 under sunny skies and quickly warming temps, and were almost immediately greeted by more enthusiastic public and private cheering stations (are you sensing a theme yet? San Diego loves its cheering stations!) Before long, they were on the rise again, into the hilly Sunset Cliffs neighborhood, where they took in more beautiful views of the Pacific stretching to the horizon. The New Balance cheerleaders welcomed walkers to pit stop at Sunset Elementary School. The Young Survivor Coalition (which included some walker and many cheering supporters) rallied the walkers through their second twenty miles. Lunch was at another spectacular waterfront part at Bonita Cove, and walkers leaving the park were gifted with delightful pink gerbera daisies. The route continued along the boardwalk, with many walkers stopping for the endless photo ops, including a certain pair of bow-tied male dancers just outside pit stop 3. A group of adorable therapy dogs greeted the parade of pink, and as if that weren’t sweet enough, there were free treats of ice cream and fresh-baked cookies at Fanuel Street Park, the location of pit stop 4. The final stretch of Day 2 brought walkers back along Bayside Walk, where a special Youth Corps Alumni cheering station was set up, and into camp. Saturday night’s dance party, it seems, made an early preview appearance thanks to the rockin’ live entertainment from cover band Back Stage Pass, which had dozens of folks on their feet in front of the stage. The Saturday camp show featured fun games, moving speeches by young survivor Ann Hattrup, co-survivor/seven-city-walker Stephanie Kohatsu, and the San Diego Youth Corps. And then, of course, came the actual Saturday night dance party, which had the floor and stage packed from start to finish.

Sunday is a highly anticipated Day 3 in San Diego, with the lovely DeAnza Cove as the backdrop for pit stop 1, and the visiting Girl Scouts giving out boxes of Thin Mints was the talk of the morning. It was an endless display of cheering stations, from the MadCaps mother/daughter group before pit 2, to the singing students outside Francis Parker School, so the fun photo props outside Mo’s in Hillcrest. One doozy of a hill climb up Juan St. in Old Town was made easier by multiple cheer spots (fresh free chips and salsa, anyone?) and concluded shortly after at a cozy shaded park for the lunch stop. Even when walkers were still miles out from the finish line, hundreds of family and friends lined the streets at Museum Row and into the downtown area, forming a human chain of spirit and support to energize the weary walkers into the participant finish area.

The setting sun was a multi-colored curtain behind the Closing Ceremony area, where our thousands of walkers, crew members and supporters packed in for the emotional ceremony. Dr. Sheri and our friend Norm Bowling from Susan G. Komen congratulated the San Diego 3-Day family on an amazing $7 million raised.

The conclusion of the 2014 3-Day season was an emotional one, but as we raised the final flag over San Diego, we were bonded with our 3-Day family in all seven of our cities (and beyond), by the mutual promise that we will never give up until we have defeated breast cancer forever. Thank you, 3-Day walkers and crew!