Tag Archives: Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day

March 2014 3-Day Meet-up Round-up

All across the land, our Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches are busy getting walkers and crew members prepared and pumped up. Take a peek at some of the meetings and training walks that brought our Komen 3-Day family face-to-face since last month!

Michigan – The continually nasty winter temps couldn’t keep our Michigan 3-Day participants from gathering at the end of February for a reunion/reception at the Novi Civic Center. Just look at those smiles!

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Seattle – 3-Day coach Aubrey shared, “My library overbooked the room I was supposed to have for my meeting. At the last second, Paula and Jon [Aubrey’s fellow Seattle coaches] helped me get in touch with the RSVPs. I had 4 RSVPs but ended up with 8 attendees at a restaurant around the corner. All but one were first-time walkers!”

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There was also a Seattle 3-Day Reunion at a local bowling alley, which brought in nearly 30 attendees. New friendships, good food and bowling? Sounds awesome.

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And this little cutie accompanied her mom to a Get Started Meeting. Aubrey said there were lots of great questions, laughs and inspiration, and called it her “greatest Get Started Meeting yet!”

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Atlanta – Our Atlanta training walk leaders are excited to hit the pavement with the new and veteran walkers. They met up last week to chat about this year’s training goals.

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Dallas/Fort Worth – Oh my gravy! The Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day coaches and participants have been busy this month!

A small but mighty group of all new walkers gathered in Dallas.

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The Go Federal Credit Union team, Cure for the Coconuts, met for happy hour with 3-Day coach Gayla. They are all new walkers and are so excited to get started. They’re already working on recruiting more of their co-workers to walk or volunteer in Dallas/Fort Worth in November.

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Another small yet strong Get Started Meeting began with only 3 attendees, but brought in a fourth who just happened to be passing by the room. Gayla shares, “She saw the video and was crying after.” Isn’t unexpected inspiration amazing?

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Team Z-Bra Girls is led by 9 year veteran walker Nina R., and in all their years of walking, they had never been to a Get Started Meeting. So Gayla met up with them at a Mexican restaurant to encourage more recruitment. They had a blast and captured this adorable picture.

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Seventeen-year-old Katie H. is on her way! She’s on the Presbytittyans, walking with her friend Emilee W.  Katie is pictured at a Get Started Meeting in Frisco with her mom, a nurse who is thinking about joining the Medical crew in Dallas.

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And finally, No Walker Left Behind captain, Mary T. hosted a Lunch & Learn at her home in Cedar Hill, where a great group joined to get even more inspired about walking.

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San Diego – The San Diego 3-Day community has taken advantage of its year-round sunny skies and started training. Coach Kim and an incredible 23 walkers completed a 3.85-mile Walk & Talk. Way to go, San Diego!

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Have you and your teammates been meeting up to plan, train or fundraise for the 3-Day? Send us your stories and pictures, or post them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (don’t forget to tag #The3Day). And if you’re looking for an official 3-Day meet-up in your area, click here to find our calendar of local events.

Wrap Up: The San Diego 3-Day

All along the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® series this year, participants and crew members had been mentioning why the Komen 3-Day in San Diego was an event of its own. Indeed, every stop along the 14-city tour had its unique and wonderful surprises, but San Diego seemed to embody the mix of California ease with the dedication of groups such as the San Diego Police Department.

The Opening Ceremony at the Del Mar Fairgrounds was an exciting way to kick off the special event, complete with thousands of walkers and hundreds of crew members dancing it up to Zumba and a little community stretching. The walkers danced out onto the route for a 20-mile walk that led through the fabulous community support in Del Mar, by the windy ocean, through Torrey Pines (just a little hill), and back down seaside for a lunch with great views.

The local news agencies gobbled up the scene of the pink walkers that stretched on for miles, as they captured scenes on the ground and from the air. (There were even some local news celebs as registered walkers!) The day was finished strong as walkers pushed on through San Diego and arrived at Crown Point Shores overlooking Mission Bay. The Camp Show Friday evening highlighted Grace Ramirez, who commanded  the attention of everyone gathered. What inspiration!

Day 2 on the route led the walkers, assisted by their dedicated crew members, around the breezy (and sometimes chilly!) neighborhoods of San Diego, complete with great views of the Bay and of the ocean. Pit Stop 2 was jazzed up by a local cheerleading group and Bonita Cove provided some extra entertainment for walkers and crew. Pink and red gerbera daisies were once again provided anonymously after lunch, and thousands were handed out to walkers, brightening the final stretches of Day 2. The Camp Show included two amazing speakers who brought the tent to its feet: Eden Becker and John Shinar. It was definitely a Camp Show to remember, capped with games from presenting sponsor Bank of America, some new shoes given out from New Balance, and of course, a legendary dance party.

The route on Day 3 of 16 miles was a fun tour of San Diego with a beautiful walk through De Anza Cove, Mission Hills Park, and the Veterans War Memorial. The route was dotted with walker stalkers and locals who cheered on the walkers. The walkers were met at the finish line with the cheers of a packed area around PETCO Park, filling the sidewalks and public spaces. The Closing Ceremony at PETCO Park was a dramatic finish to the San Diego 3-Day and to the 3-Day season, as the crowd of thousands of walkers, crew, volunteers, and family and friends gathered to celebrate a successful 60-mile walk and to encourage each other on their journey to find a cure. The Survivors’ Circle gathered to raise the flag: “We Will Never Give Up!” and participants danced to “We Are Family” to wrap up another exciting event for San Diego.

See you all next year in San Diego!

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS

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A Friend from the Past

Julie and Jordan finish off Day 2 on the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day

Julie and Jordan finish off Day 2 on the Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day

“I can barely remember to log into Facebook,” recounts Julie Long who is participating in her 27th Susan G. Komen 3-Day® event this weekend in San Diego, with her daughter, Jordan, who is walking for the first time. “I managed to follow the instructions on The3Day.org and added the Komen 3-Day link to my Facebook page. And so begins the story of the power of Facebook and the kindness of (almost) strangers.”

A few weeks ago, Julie received an email notification that a $200 donation had been made to her 3-Day fundraising. “The name of the donor was listed, and while it sounded familiar, I wasn’t exactly sure who it was,” recalled Julie. “I went to my Participant Center in the hopes that the donor had left a message which would help me identify who it was.” The message was simple:

‘Julie, congratulations on participating in this wonderful event. I stumbled upon your site and since I have a memory of being in your 8th grade homeroom class the year you lost your mother, I know how personal a cause this must be. I am more than happy to contribute on your behalf. Keep walking, you’re making a difference! Richard P-W.’

Julie continued, “The message might not sound so extraordinary, except that the memory Richard is referring to was an announcement made by my 8th grade homeroom teacher 41 years ago. It’s a memory of a terrible day and a terrible announcement. My teacher did not realize I had returned to school, as my mother died of breast cancer over our spring break. She had not realized that I was sitting there until 32 heads turned towards the back of the room where I sat sobbing.”

The walkers on the Komen 3-Day in San Diego line up to start the route

The walkers on the San Diego 3-Day line up to start the route

Once Julie stopped crying after reading his message, she emailed Richard to thank him. He called and they spoke for several minutes. They had only spoken a handful of times over the years (as often happens with classmates), but he recounted that he had never forgotten that day over the last 41 years.

Julie and Jorden in traditional pink tutus, take on the San Diego 3-Day route on the final day of walking

Julie and Jorden, in traditional pink tutus, take on the San Diego 3-Day route on the final day of walking

“The 3-Day has given me an opportunity to share my grief and my hope with a community that is committed to finding a cure for breast cancer,” says Julie with conviction. “It is a world where the kindness of strangers is not uncommon.  My link on Facebook and my 3-Day story reminded someone of an event over 41 years ago, and turned someone who was essentially a stranger into a treasured friend.”

Say hello to Julie and Jordan today as they finish their 60 miles of walking for a cure on the San Diego 3-Day, and tell us about your miraculous fundraising stories!