Meet Your Seattle Coaches

The Seattle 3-Day is this weekend, and our coaches can’t wait to welcome all the walkers to their hometown! Some of the Seattle team have been with the 3-Day for a while, but there are also some new faces. It’s the perfect time to get to know all your coaches better!

Coach Jen Haber and Crew & Volunteer Coordinator Kathleen Klotz are heading up your Seattle team, and these two are quite the dynamic duo!

Jen has been involved with the 3-Day in various roles since 2000, when she walked her first event. Kathleen joined the 3-Day team just after she graduated college, and has been a part of the family ever since.

They are excited to continue their tradition of passion this year, and can’t wait to welcome all the walkers, crew and supporters to the Seattle route!

Jen says she especially loves “seeing everyone bright and early at Opening Ceremony! I love seeing the Space Needle lit up before dawn!”

Kathleen has other favorite spots along the route.

“I really love the pit stops, especially when the crews take their time to make it their own. Each one is always a little different and I really think that helps the walkers to look forward to the next stop on the route. Plus, snacks!”

If you need some motivation after the Opening Ceremony or in between pit stops, Jen and Kathleen have you covered there, too. Here are their favorite walking songs to put some pep in your step this weekend! Jen loves “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and Kathleen can’t get “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons out of her head.

That love of music makes sense, given that Jen says Kathleen “is an incredible lip-syncer” as well as a dedicated coach.

Kathleen also sings the praises of her fellow coach.

“Jen Haber is such a wonderful asset to the Seattle 3-Day. She always has the right answers and is really on top of communication. She has a heart for this event and it shows in so many ways.”

Though Jen lives in the San Diego area, she has lots of heart for Seattle, saying that she loves all the shops and cafes along the water the West Seattle neighborhood, in Alki Beach. She also would love to be able to fly so she can spend time “visiting the highest point in any city that I visit. I MUST go to the top of the Space Needle at some point this weekend!”

That high climb is also on Kathleen’s “must-do” list for this weekend, along with giving all of the walkers a very warm welcome!

“We have such a great group of participants in Seattle. I am constantly looking for ways to keep them happy and wanting to come back for more! Please don’t hesitate to come find me to say hi, or share a hug! (I love hugs). I want to get to know as many participants as possible!”

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A new face you’ll see on the route is Coach Heather Snyder, who is joining us from Michigan to assist Coaches Jen and Kathleen. She is very excited to be heading to the West Coast for the weekend!

“Thank you to the Seattle 3-Day community. Not only do I get the opportunity to visit your beautiful city and share in your amazing 3-Day experience, I get to do it up close and personal! Being on event at Opening and Closing Ceremonies, meeting participants and crew on the route, and interacting with them extensively at camp is one of the best parts of my job! While I may not be your local coach, I am thrilled to be coming to Seattle and meeting you. After all, we are truly one big pink community from the coast to coast!”

Heather has been passionate about the 3-Day cause for some time, and says the 3-Day was “always something I wanted to do. Then, in the February of 2015, when a friend formed a team, I jumped on board. I started training ASAP and fundraising PDQ (that’s ‘Pretty Darn Quick’). I’m so glad I did! I completed all 60 miles with no injuries and raised $4500. After that, I was hooked!”

Other things to know about Heather is that has Fiji and a future birthday spent in Italy on her “must-visit” global destination and she recommends “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit for your walking playlist. If you see Coach Heather on the route, be sure to give her a great big Seattle welcome!

Seattle 3-Day Route Preview

In September, the 3-Day is taking us to the Pacific Northwest. Here we come, Seattle 3-Day!

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For returning walkers, this walk will be a welcome combination of all their favorite spots, combined with a few updates we have made based on participant feedback from last year. There were some big changes to the route last year, so for this year we just made some small updates to the 2016 route.

Our Seattle Event Production Manager, Ann Love, says, “I’m so glad that we were able to take a new route that was so well-received last year, and make a few changes to make people even happier! We made some nice updates!”

Those updates include a new spot for lunch on Day One, at the Downtown Park at Bellevue. We had lunch at the park a few years ago, but due to construction on the site, we haven’t been in there in a while, so this will be our first year back in the beautiful park! This is one of Ann’s favorite spots on Day 1 because there is a waterfall, a beautiful pond full of ducks, stadium seating and even a cool play area. If walkers still have energy after their first few miles, Ann recommends playing in the park!

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There are still plenty of well-known favorite sites on the Day One route, including the Opening Ceremony at the Space Needle, and camp in Redmond at Marymoor Park.

Ann promises newcomers that the park is “really large and beautiful! It’s an awesome camp spot!”

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After a restful night’s sleep in our park campground, much of Day Two will be spent along the waterfront in Kirkland.

Ann says this is usually “everyone’s favorite part” of the walk, and will offer a lot of great photo opportunities. Don’t forget to use #SEA3Day when you post your photos on social media!

You will also see some fun local cheering stations on the Day Two route.

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Those include the Parrot Heads of Puget Sound, who will be on Snyder’s Corner in Kirkland. You can enjoy the sounds of Jimmy Buffet as they support your every step! There will also be the Shore Cheerleaders in the morning and Woodinville Cheerleaders in the afternoon to help keep all our walkers motivated.

Also, keep an eye out for photo ops at Heritage, Grass Lawn and even Google Park. There is plenty to see and enjoy throughout the day!

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In addition, Coach Stephanie Mayer says to keep an eye out for the famous Lil Smokies Guys, who will be out every day of the weekend to cheer on the walkers!

Day Three has the most changes to the route from last year, all based on participant feedback from last year’s walkers. These include removing some stairs from the walk!

“These are all changes for the better that should make our walkers happy!” according to Ann.

The North Queens Drill Team will be out cheering the walkers on Sunday morning. They are a military precision marching and flag team. The team enables girls 8-20 the opportunity to march in parades and competitions, to learn sportsmanship, leadership, discipline, and responsibility. This is a favorite part of the walk for Coach Stephanie!

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There is also Gas Works Park, located on the north shore of Lake Union. You’ll hit this park around mile 6.8. and be able to enjoy beautiful views of the Seattle skyline from here!

Another site to look out for on Day Three will be the Woodland Park Rose Garden. The route will take walkers past the park, but we encourage walkers to take a slight detour to go in to explore and take photos!

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Then we will complete our 60 miles back at the Space Needle! What spots are you most looking forward to on the Seattle 3-Day?

3-Day September Fundraising Calendar

In September, we will be walking in the Seattle 3-Day! As fall approaches, it’s the perfect time to get in some final fundraising for your fall 3-Day, or even get a jump start on your 2018 fundraising! Luckily, we have plenty of ideas to help you get started.

First, make sure you are encouraging your donors to send you mail and sweet treats if your 3-Day is this month! They can also come cheer you on along the route! All the needed information can be found in the Spectator Info section on our website, listed here for the next two events:

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September is Better Breakfast Month and Self Improvement Month, which are great for training and fundraising ideas:

In honor of Self Improvement Month, look at what goals you have for September. Whether that includes goals for the 3-Day, or otherwise! Write down your goals for miles walked or dollars raised or local events attended and stick to it. Writing goals down can be a helpful reminder not to miss a walk or send out another round of letters!
In honor of Better Breakfast Month, get your team together for an early morning weekend walk, and then host them for a fun breakfast afterwards! Or, make easy on-the-go breakfast packs to give to donors when they hit a certain dollar amount. It was help them start the day on the sunny side.

There are some workshops happening this month. You can find the complete list on our website here. We will also be calling out more local events on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out. Also, don’t forget to follow your local coaches’ page for more information and inspiration!

Other key days this month include:

September 10: Swap Ideas Day: Fundraising is an ongoing effort, and sometimes a little creativity can help! Talk to your teammates, post on the 3-Day message boards, or ask you coaches for new ideas. We also have 101 Fundraising Ideas on our website!
September 13: Fortune Cookie Day: We hope your fortunes are always sunny and bright – and you can share the same wish with your donors! Fortune Cookies are easy to get from your local Chinese restaurant, so attach your own “3-Day Fortune” with inspiring quotes to the cookies, and drop them with your donors as a thank you! Need ideas? Check out our Inspiration Page for quotes, statistics and fun images.

September 17: National Women’s Friendship Day: You love your friends and they love you! They’re the family you choose, so reach out and remind them about your fundraising goals for this year and even next. You could get your next big donation, or even recruit a pal to walk with you on your 60-mile journey.

September 21: World Gratitude Day: “Thank you” are words you can never say enough, especially to your donors. They support you before you even attend the Opening Ceremony, and help us raise such important funds towards research and local efforts by Susan G. Komen. Remind them how important their donations are on World Gratitude Day! Thank those who have already donated, and share with those who haven’t yet, just how far their donation can go.
September 28: National Good Neighbor Day: Be a good neighbor, and help raise money for your 3-Day walk! Offer your services near your home for chores like mowing the lawn, raking leaves, cleaning windows etc. for donations. Don’t forget to wear your 3-Day pink while you work to spread awareness!

Also, make sure to join our 3-Day Social Stars! This is an easy-to-join group that’s part of our social media community, where you can earn prizes for interacting with the 3-Day on social media. Talk, connect, and share with us! You can also pick up good fundraising ideas from your fellow 3-Dayers.

Are you walking in our Seattle 3-Day? What are your fundraising and training goals for September?