Meet Dennis Kirkpatrick, 3-Day Route Safety Crew Member

Escorting last walker

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything was a miracle.”- Albert Einstein.

That quote lies below Dennis Kirkpatrick’s name as his email signature, and no quote could more perfectly sum up the impact he has made on the 3-Day. His official role is Route Safety Crew Member, but he also considers his job to be the “giving the walkers a ‘hard time’ person, hug giver and receiver.”

After greeting his wife at the finish line of her first 3-Day he knew he had to find a way to participate, too. He saw how much fun the crew was having together, all while keeping 3-Dayers safe and giving to a great cause. He decided to join the 3-Day as a crew member the next year.

Family time when Sandy and Carol were walking

The 3-Day is now a family affair as his wife continues to walk, and his daughter supports the walkers as well.

“I love to watch my wife figure out the route (before and during) the walk. I love working with my daughter taking care of the walkers while making them smile! We are working together for a cause which helps to bring us closer as a family.”

For those who are interested in joining the crew alongside Dennis and his family, Dennis says,

“If you like having fun and meeting very interesting people, come join us.

If you like to hear good stories of fun and encouragement, come join us.

If you like to hear about bravery and why supporting the 3-Day is so important, come join us.”

Dennis on his motorcycle heading to next stop

Dennis says he loves the combination of working with and seeing the same, familiar 3-Day faces each year, while also adding new faces to the walk! The 3-Day is “tiring, fun and inspiring,” but that’s what keeps him coming back year after year.

“It takes a lot of people behind the scenes to make big events work. We are a team that works together!”

Dennis and Sandy (Daughter) going for a ride

If you want to join the 3-Day crew alongside Dennis this year, you can find out about all the opportunities on our website. We’d love to have you!

Now tell us, what are some of your favorite Crew memories from 3-Days past?

Part 5 of the ABCs of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Crew

Welcome to the fifth and final installment of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Crew! We’ve shared letters A – E, F – J, K – O, P – T, and this week, we’re excited to bring you the final six letters. Please tell us your ideas for each letter here or on Facebook, and share these images with your family and friends. (To see the Komen 3-Day walker version of the ABC’s, click here!)

Crew University is a series of recorded, online training sessions designed to get 3-Day® crew members up to speed on what the 3-Day is all about, and provide details about their specific crew jobs. All 3-Day crew members have access to Crew U. in their Participant Centers, and are encouraged to watch the recordings that apply to them before they come to the All Crew Kick-off.

Every 3-Day crew member is a volunteer (they’re paid in hugs, high fives and heartfelt gratitude) who works all three days of the event, but there are also numerous other volunteer opportunities for folks who may not be able to fulfill the full crew commitment. From outreach and recruitment, to training and motivating participants, to on-event roles and responsibilities, there is a volunteer program to fit your schedule, skills and passions on the 3-Day.

To most walkers, they may just look like pink-covered beacons you see from afar, telling you that you’ve reached a stop at last. But to a 3-Day crew member, these open-air tents, called Western Shelters, are an essential part of the pit stops, grab & go’s and lunch stop. Crew members work together to quickly and safely assemble the structures, ensuring that your beloved grahamwiches are kept shaded.

Part 4 of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Crew

Welcome to part four of the ABC’s of the Komen 3-Day Crew! We’ve shared letters A – E, F – J, K – O, and this week, we’re excited to present letters P through T. We invite you to tell us your ideas for each letter here or on Facebook, and to share these images with your family and friends. (To see the 3-Day walker version of the ABC’s, click here!)

“Rest, Refuel, Relieve Yourself” is the unofficial motto of the 3-Day pit stops. Pit stops are magical little worlds that are themed, decorated, staffed with costumed crew members, and strategically located along the route every 3-4 miles. You’ll find snacks, water, sports drinks, medical attention (in case you need it), cheerleaders and so much more at each and every pit stop, and you’re never very far from the next one!

The 3-Day is an exciting event, full of cheering and music and talking. However, some of our 3-Day neighbors appreciate peace and quiet in the early morning hours, so you’ll notice Quiet Zone signs – put in place by our dedicated Route Marking crew members – as you stroll through certain parts of the route. Please be mindful of the people that live in these neighborhoods who are trying to rest and relax.

How do we keep hundreds of 3-Day walkers from getting lost on the route? Great route signage! The Route Marking crew heads out on the route early to hang hundreds of directional arrows and safety reminders, and then takes them down after everyone is gone. You’ll probably never see a Route Marking crew member in action, but we’d be lost without them!

Sweep vans are driven by crew members along the route all day, ready to pick up anyone who needs to stop walking for a bit. Sweep vans are elaborately decorated, themed and musically accompanied “mobile love and encouragement units.” Sometimes, walkers feel disappointed if they have to rely on a sweep van, but we can’t emphasize enough that there is NO shame in taking a sweep. In fact, a lot of people would agree that you haven’t fully experienced the 3-Day until you’ve taken a ride in a sweep van.

When you walk into a 3-Day pit stop, lunch stop, or Grab & Go, you never know what kind of magical land you might be entering. Oz? A bee hive? The 1950s? A storybook fairy tale land? Themes are just one of the many fun ways Crew teams contribute to the 3-Day.