2016 Seattle 3-Day Opening Ceremony Speakers—We Are the 3-Day

The 2016 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® began on a gorgeous Pacific Northwest morning in Seattle with a beautiful and stirring Opening Ceremony. Walkers, crew members and supporters joined their hearts and hopes in the shared promise of bringing about the end of breast cancer, one footstep at a time.

As part of the Ceremony, we were honored to welcome some special 3-Day participants to the stage, where they shared their own inspirations—both heart-warming and heartbreaking—for being part of the 3-Day. #WeAreThe3Day

Danielle Winston – My Grandmother“I walk in honor of my grandmother this weekend. When she was diagnosed with this disease, she attacked it with a strength and grace that I hope I inherited from her. I walk so that NO grandchild loses their grandmother to breast cancer. I’m Danielle and I AM the 3-Day.”

Monica Flory – My Mother
“I became involved in the 3-Day when a close family friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. I stay involved because in the last 10 years, more than 10 friends have been diagnosed. In 2011, my Mom was diagnosed and fought a hard battle and beat it. It’s because of her strength that I’m determined to be a part of the solution. I’m Monica and I AM the 3-Day.”

Mark Weedin – My Wife“I signed up for this walk – my first 3-Day – because I have been standing alongside my wife Kim for the last 10 months as she has fought breast cancer, round two. I also wanted to honor my sister Kathy, my mom, and my mother-in-law Jean, who we lost to this disease. Kim was supposed to be here with me today, but she passed away 11 days ago. If she were here, she would tell you all to never stop fighting, to never ever give up. I am her voice now. My name is Mark and I AM the 3-Day.”

Cathy Skotzke – Myself“I am walking in the 3-Day because I know what it means to battle cancer first-hand. I am a 2-time cancer survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and thyroid cancer. I went through intensive chemo and radiation and almost lost my life. But I was spared, and I want to do my part to help us get closer to finding a cure. I’m Cathy and I AM the 3-Day.”

Becca Brickman – My Friend“I started this journey when my best friend Tina was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer last Thanksgiving. I wanted to do this journey to show her my love and support. She has two young girls and I would love to see our efforts result in a cure for the all the girls of tomorrow. I’m Becca and I AM the 3-Day.”

Beata Stensager – My Family “My reasons for walking began 10 years ago when a dear friend that’s now a 27-year survivor, asked me to join her in a Race for the Cure (you know, that little one). Today, it’s an honor to carry the My Family flag because I’m walking these 60 miles in memory of my young niece, Julie Ann, who was taken from us just weeks ago. I’m Beata and I AM the 3-Day.”

Together, we are strong. Together, we can defeat breast cancer. Together, we are the 3-Day.

The Seattle 3-Day Coaches Talk About…The Seattle 3-Day Coaches!

They’re the helpful cheerleaders on the other end of the phone call or email when you have questions or concerns. They’re the smiling faces welcoming you and your teams at meet-ups and workshops and building up community excitement for the 3-Day. They’re the guiding hands leading the crew captains and teams to greatness. That’s right, they’re your Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches!

As we get ready to return to each of the seven splendid 3-Day locations, we wanted to take a few minutes to catch up with the coaches from each event. Today, the Seattle 3-Day Coaches are in the spotlight!

Since last year’s 3-Day, the Seattle team has seen some changes.

Paula, Seattle’s Participant Support Coach for the past 2 years (and a 3-Day coach since 2005), retired over the summer and has been enjoying time with her husband, kids and grandsons. She will be cheering at the San Diego 3-Day in November.
Jon, who has been the Crew & Volunteer Coordinator in Seattle since 2014 moved on to the 3-Day Event Planning team in the spring, where he has been helping plan all seven 3-Day events. Jon will be working on staff at every 2016 3-Day (except Dallas/Fort Worth, where he’ll be walking for the first time), so you can still say hi to him in Seattle next week!

So that brings us to the stars of today’s show, the current team of Seattle coaches. Let’s cozy up with Aubrey, Jen and Kathleen and see what they had to say about each other!

Aubrey (Seattle Local Events Coach)

Kathleen says, “Aubrey is super enthusiastic about her love for the 3-Day. It is obvious she wears her heart on her sleeve and wants everyone to have an amazing experience.”

Jen shared, “Aubrey is so passionate and dedicated to the cause. She has a very personal connection to the cause as her mother is a survivor. She is also a longtime participant and fundraiser, which means she really knows how to personally connect with the Seattle walkers.”

Jen (Seattle Participant Support Coach)

Prior to joining the Seattle team, Jen was the Participant Support Coach for the Philadelphia 3-Day. You can see what she shared about herself last year here.

Aubrey had this to say about Jen: “Three words (okay, four) to describe Jen are organized, forward-thinking, and effective. She has the ability to jump in with both feet and get to know participants on a personal level without much effort. It just comes naturally to Jen. Even though I haven’t worked on a 3-Day event with Jen, I had a great time doing a route drive with her back in June. It was great to connect with her face to face and get excited about our new route.”

Kathleen tells us, “Jen is super reliable and really knowledgeable. She always goes above and beyond to make our jobs easier. She jumped right into Seattle without missing a beat!”

Kathleen (Seattle Crew & Volunteer Coordinator)

This spring, we were happy to welcome back Kathleen, a former Crew Coordinator who returned to the 3-Day after spending a few years at home with her little guys. Since she hasn’t been around for any of our past “Meet the Coaches” posts, we started her off with a few get-to-know-you questions:

Describe your job in 10 words or fewer – “Fun, puzzle-piecing and ever changing with lots of smiles!”
We’re one week from the Seattle event. What’s a typical day like for you these days? – “Kind of crazy! There are many documents that need to be filled in and prepared, and lots of phone calls and emails to be returned. This is also the time of year when the most crew changes occur.”
What are 3 things that we didn’t know about you? – “1) I have an identical twin sister.2) I have two awesome little boys. 3) I love spending time outdoors. I work outside as much as possible (and usually run inside when the phone rings to limit background noise)!”

And, here’s what the rest of the Seattle team had to say about working with Kathleen:

“I’d describe Kathleen as very determined! She jumped right back into things as the Crew & Volunteer Coordinator this year and has tackled a bunch of challenges with perseverance and a great sense of humor!” – Jen

“Kathleen is considerate, helpful, and positive. She is great about taking on challenges with grace and poise. She makes great connections with her crew team and you can see that they are her #1 priority. On the many conversations we’ve shared with each other, the one thing that rings clear is that Kathleen is a supportive sweetheart. We share many of the same feelings and interests, which is fun, comforting, and encouraging.” – Aubrey

Will you be on the Seattle 3-Day? Be sure to say hello to the coaches (they’re easy to spot around camp and the route in their light grey Staff shirts)!

Seattle 3-Day 2016 Route Update!

Last year on the 3-Day® blog, we shared some detailed “Insider’s Peek at the Route” posts with you. We pulled the curtain back on the overall process of planning and executing a 60-mile route, and then got even more in-depth with each individual 3-Day walk’s route.

This year, we continue to keep you looped-in with the updates and changes that have been made to the 3-Day routes for 2016.

We’re also bringing in members of the 3-Day Advisory Council to share their thoughts about the 2016 route changes. These participants stand as the “voice” of the 3-Day community and their input has been instrumental in strengthening the communication and camaraderie between Komen and the 3-Day family, so we’re thrilled to have their insight here on our route updates.

We have already shared the Michigan and Twin Cities route updates, and today, we bring you some exciting info about the SEATTLE 3-Day route.

The Seattle 3-Day is the event whose route has undergone the most significant changes in 2016. Because Seattle would be seeing such substantial updates to its route, earlier this year, Seattle Advisory Council members Dottie and Tina were invited to join the 3-Day event planners on a route drive in Seattle, where they got a sneak peek at the changes. Tina, who will be walking in her 15th and 16th 3-Day events this year (Seattle and San Diego), shared her thoughts on the updates. tina mcd

“I know the route has been an ongoing concern over the last years for the Seattle 3-Day and my team. Spending the day driving the routes with 3-Day staff and discussing the reasoning and thought process was amazing. Every single concern was addressed and great changes are being made. I love that they are looking at it through the eyes and perspective of someone who is walking the 60 miles.

“On Day 1 I am so excited that we are developing plans to walk through the Microsoft campus. Many hills were eliminated and roads have been changed to give us a change of scenery.

“Day 2 is looking to incorporate so many fun changes! We are planning on reversing the route heading out of camp so we can walk into Redmond Town Center and avoid heading straight up the huge hill first thing in the morning. We’re planning on heading into Kirkland from the opposite direction which is great because it takes us down to the water for lunch. I love the route out of lunch because we will continue to walk along the waterfront through downtown. To make our way back to Redmond we are working on a gradual, progressive uphill that incorporates the Cross Kirkland trail and hopefully the Google Campus. This will help break up the hill as well as move us safely over the freeway while providing some new scenery as well.

“I am so pinking excited for the changes to Day 3. I love that we are planning on heading north to Ravenna so we can walk along the shores of Green Lake again. This route would allow us to come into the South Lake Union area from a different direction, while enjoying views of the lake and downtown. Although I will miss the Ballard Locks, I can’t wait to see what this new route provides for walker stalker opportunities. I love, love, love how we are planning to walk into Seattle with views galore of our amazing city and the water that surrounds it. I love that we are planning to approach the city from a different way—walking along the waterfront with the possibility of having our last pit stop/grab & go at Centennial Park, which is clean, beautiful and amazing!

“All three days will provide new scenery, roads, photo opportunities, large areas for cheering stations, and something new for the veteran walkers, as well an amazing experience for our new walkers! I am beyond thrilled that the walkers’ voices have been heard and that we are making changes. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this great experience and amazing organization.”

Another Advisory Council member taking part in the Seattle 3-Day is Anthony, a long-time Route Safety crew member from Arizona. “This will be my 8th event. All of them have been on Route Safety. This will be my FIRST time crewing Seattle. It will be lots of fun, especially since I lived there a long time ago.” anthony