Denver Awaits: Join Us for the Impactful 3-Day

Blush skies over the city of Denver which hosts the Susan G. Komen 3-Day(R)

This summer, the beautiful city of Denver will be the first stop in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® series, and we want YOU to be a part of it. When you arrive on Aug. 1, you’ll be immersed in the Pink Bubble, a vibrant community well known for its spirit of hope, remembrance and celebration.

The 3-Day is an up to 60-mile journey where participants walk for themselves, for loved ones or for people they may not know but whose experience with breast cancer they want to honor.

While Denver can see temperatures in the summer reach the 90s, Nancy Partridge, a breast cancer survivor and advocacy ambassador for the Komen Center for Public Policy, says the Mile High City is the perfect backdrop for the 3-Day’s memorable experience.

“In Boulder it’s a real treat. It’s a quaint, quirky, little college town that is set up against the Flatirons, which is some of the most beautiful mountains that you will see up close and personal,” Nancy, who lived in the city for 20 years, explained. “Denver is shaded by high rises, and in Boulder, most of the route is shaded by trees. So, when you feel the sunshine on your face, it feels good.”

Nancy and her teammate, Andrea Casillas, at the Denver 3-Day.

However, with Denver’s high altitude (5,280 feet above sea level), Nancy emphasized the importance of being prepared. “It’s important for walkers to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and eat foods high in potassium like avocado and cantaloupe.”

The Denver 3-Day isn’t just about the walk; it’s also about the impact. In 2024, 700 walkers and 220 crew members gathered in Denver and raised $2.3 million to support breast cancer research, education, advocacy and patient support services. Tracey Bahlo has participated in the 3-Day more than 20 times to honor her sister, a two-time breast cancer survivor, as well as others touched by breast cancer. She says it’s an incredible experience.

Tracey Bahlo has walked the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 22 times.

“It raises money for meaningful research and support, and provides hope,” Tracey said. “Every year at the San Diego 3-Day, there’s a woman with a sign that reads, ‘People like you saved me.’ That’s why I walk.”

Whether you’re a Colorado native or visiting for the first time, the 3-Day offers a new perspective on Denver. The route highlights some of the city’s most scenic spots—from Boulder’s hilly streets to iconic landmarks like Coors Field and the famous 40-foot blue bear at the convention center.

Nancy and her friend, Kate Ahnen, who met at the Denver 3-day.

With warm weather likely in August, Tracey recommends some tips to stay cool: “Start walking early and wear a long sleeve, light weight shirt. The sun on your skin will be hotter. And don’t forget to wear an ice wrap around your neck!”

Since it began in 2003, the 3-Day series has welcomed more than 500,000 participants and raised more $915 million. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this amazing journey. Visit the 3-Day today to register for Denver!

A First-Timer’s Journey with the Komen 3-Day

Every year, new participants join the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, and for many, it becomes more than just a breast cancer walk – it’s an unforgettable experience. Some spend months fundraising and training, while others join at the 11th hour. Regardless of when they begin, each participant quickly realizes the 3-Day is about much more than walking, it’s about being a part of a community dedicated to ending breast cancer.

Kimian Benitez is one of those new participants. She took part in her first 3-Day last fall in San Diego and walked the event solo.

“I was the team captain of myself,” she joked. “I always wanted to do it and I am so glad I did.”

The night before the event, Kimian and her husband drove to San Diego, and the next morning she began her 3-Day journey. After six miles, Kimian, who was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, found herself needing to take a break.

Kimian Benitez at the 2024 San Diego 3-Day

“I was disappointed when I got on the sweep van that took me back to the hotel, but everyone made me feel like I did great,” she recalled. “The Pink Bubble they talk about is such a positive and embracing atmosphere.”

The 3-Day’s unique and supportive environment is what keeps people like Kimian coming back. She already has plans on walking in this year’s San Diego 3-Day and is determined to walk farther than she did the first time.

“I don’t know anyone or have anyone close to me who has gone through breast cancer, but how I think about it is the money I raised and the effort I put in could go toward finding the cure, whether for me, tomorrow, or for someone I know and love,” Kimian said.

To learn more about the 3-Day or to register for an event, visit the3day.org.

Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.

A Lifelong Vigilance: 3-Day Walker Shares Her Breast Cancer Journey

Julie Staggs has always approached her health with vigilance, knowing that routine mammograms were not just a precaution, but a necessity because of her family’s history with breast cancer. Along with her mother, Julie’s grandmother and aunts have all had the disease. “For me it wasn’t a matter of if, but when,” she said.

Julie’s breast cancer diagnosis came in July 2023 after a routine mammogram. She was told she had stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. However, a second diagnosis was coming. One tumor was found on the mammogram, while a second tumor was discovered when Julie was in surgery.

“It was shocking when they found it,” Julie said referring to the additional tumor. “It was invasive lobular cancer which is known for not showing up on mammograms.”

Julie received more unusual news when she did genetic testing and learned she was negative for BRCA inherited gene mutations.

“My oncologist was blown away by my genetic testing results. She ordered a comprehensive genetic panel to pinpoint the genetic marker that could indicate the cancer, but there was nothing found,” Julie recalled. “So, it’s not that it’s not a genetic factor, it could be that researchers haven’t found it yet.”

When Julie, a 55-year-old registered nurse, received her breast cancer diagnoses she didn’t panic. Instead, she switched on her nurse brain. “I thought to myself, ‘Okay, let’s do this and I started going through and sorting out all the things I had to do.’”

Julie decided to have a double mastectomy in September 2023 and later had additional surgeries for breast reconstruction. In December 2023 she had a hysterectomy and oophorectomy because her breast cancer was estrogen and progesterone receptor-positive, HER2-negative. “My interest was in removing any kind of estrogen that the cancer could feed off,” Julie said. She is also taking tamoxifen for the next five years to help reduce her chances of a cancer recurrence and deals with the side effects of the medication which include joint and bone pain.

Even as Julie was navigating her treatment plan, she knew she had to take action. So, she signed up and started training for her second time walking 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego. She participated for the first time in 2007 in support of her mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 30s, and in November 2024, she walked for herself and other loved ones.

Julie said despite what her body was going through, she still needed to walk in the 3-Day to lend her support to others.

“My mother is now 84 and is a breast cancer survivor. But recently a few of my sorority sisters found out they had breast cancer,” Julie said, fighting back tears. “And so really it’s the realization that this is very close to home, and I just need to do something.”

Julie’s 3-Day team, “The Rack Pack,” consisted of six teammates made up of her lifelong friends and sorority sisters some from San Diego, and others who traveled to the event from Alaska and New Mexico. They raised more than $9,000.

Julie credits a good recovery plan from her surgeries for being able to prepare for the 60-mile walk. She urged others to take part in a 3-Day event and said while it may seem daunting, it goes by pretty fast.

“You just take one mile at a time and you’re talking and chatting and looking at the great scenery and before you know it, you’re at mile 20,” she said.

The Komen 3-Day is an annual three-day up to 60-mile fundraising walk to end breast cancer held in Boston, Denver, Dallas and San Diego. Since 2003, participants have raised more than $915 million to support Komen’s work to end breast cancer. Visit www.the3day.org to register or make a donation.