Happy Thanksgiving from the 3-Day Coaches!

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Happy Thanksgiving 3-Dayers! We hope you are all celebrating with friends and family and lots of good food! There is so much to be grateful for this year; from all our amazing participants to our beautiful host cities to the phenomenal amount of money we raised towards Komen’s Bold Goal in 2017.

Though many of us are spending the day relaxing, we wanted to make sure to throw some thanks and love your way! Our coaches, from Michigan to San Diego, are thankful for each and every one of you. But they’re also thankful for chocolate, puppies, their families, and more! Here are a few of our coaches’ favorite things this Thanksgiving…

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Coach Gina from Michigan: I am grateful, beyond measure, for this “village” I am part of. After my own diagnosis, I quickly learned you need to rely on those around you and I am blessed to have family and friends who know how to shower love and support. This has enabled me to cherish each moment and be thankful for each day!

Coach Emily from Philadelphia: I am thankful for my pup, Cooper’s, face when I come home from an event and the snuggles that follow all night long!

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Coach Marianne from San Diego: I’m thankful for all of the community support we received on our event last weekend in San Diego! I was so happy to see places like Brick & Bell (who also have amazing scones that I’m thankful for) come out to cheer our walkers on!

Coach Tisho from Philadelphia: My family, my health and dark chocolate

Coach Liz from Dallas/Fort Worth: It’s so corny and simple, but I am thankful for my husband, his love and support. (They have been married for 35+ years!)

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Coach Stephanie from Twin Cities: I am forever grateful to all my friends, family, co-workers and amazing 3-Day volunteers who jumped in to lend me a hand after I was seriously injured in a bike accident just three weeks before the Twin Cities 3-Day. It was difficult for me to accept all the help, being someone who likes to “do it all.” But, of course everything got done and we had another amazing event. I feel incredibly blessed to have all of them in my life!

Coach Heather from Michigan: I’m thankful for friends. I am so fortunate to have my circle of friends from childhood that have been such a source of love and support for three decades! I always thought I had “enough” friends… and then I came to the 3-Day. So many of my teammates I now consider friends. I am rich 🙂

Coach Gayla from Dallas/Fort Worth: I’m thankful for a job that brings me so much joy and surrounds me with human beings who inspire me daily — from my co-workers to all our participants! I’m also thankful for my family and our four-legged fur babies who love me unconditionally.

Coach Staci from San Diego: I am thankful for good health and the fact that you have to work for it. And for my new puppy that’s coming home very soon! She’s a Vizsla and we haven’t named her yet but my whole family is so excited!

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What are you thankful for this year? Tell us in the comments!

Counting Our Thanks: The 2016 Komen 3-Day Series, By the Numbers

3day_2016_social_holiday_thanksgiving Seven locations. 420 miles. More than 6,500 walkers, 1,800+ crew members, and countless lives touched. Let’s look at our 2016 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® Series, by the numbers.

Michigan 3-Day

Donations: $1.6 Million
Walkers: 600
Crew: 300
See the Michigan 3-Day Photos Here!

Twin Cities 3-Day 2016_TC-Walkers_3-Day (57 of 77)
Donations: $1.4 Million
Walkers: 500
Crew: 200
See the Twin Cities 3-Day Photos Here!

Seattle 3-Day 2016_3day_wa_gf_-39
Donations: $1.8 Million
Walkers: 600
Crew: 200
See the Seattle 3-Day Photos Here!

Atlanta 3-Day 2016_3day_atl_gf_-119
Donations: $1.7 Million
Walkers: 600
Crew: 225
See the Atlanta 3-Day Photos Here!

Philadelphia 3-Day 2016_3day_philly_gf_-124
Donations: $2.1 Million
Walkers: 750
Crew: 275
See the Philadelphia 3-Day Photos Here!

Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day 2016_3day_df_gf_-384
Donations: $2.4 Million
Walkers: 900
Crew: 300
See the Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day Photos Here!

San Diego 3-Day 2016_3day_sd_gf_-21
Donations: $7.6 Million
Walkers: 2,600
Crew: 350

See the San Diego 3-Day Photos Here!

The fundraising totals listed above represent how much was raised by the time each event began, and we’re thrilled to share that every single Komen 3-Day continues bringing in donation dollars even after the last walker left each Closing Ceremony. It’s all adding up to one huge impact that will help Komen reach their Bold Goal: to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50% in the U.S. within the next decade.

There’s not a number big enough to calculate our gratitude to you, our 3-Day family, for your part in the fight.

More Ways to Thank Your 3-Day Donors

As we approach the start of the 2015 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season, you are probably seeing an uptick in donations coming in. At the end of last year, we shared some ways to thank your Komen 3-Day donors after your event is over, but we thought you might also like some ideas of ways to thank them during your 3-Day®. 3DAY_2016_Blog_TitleGraphics_MoreWaystoThank_fp

Carry Them With You – Many walkers find thoughtful and creative ways to recognize and bring their donors along with them while they walk. You can write their names (and the names of the people whom they donated in honor or in memory of) on pink ribbons that you wear on your hat or waist pack. You can inscribe their names on a t-shirt. If you’re feeling very creative, names of donors could also be celebrated on fairy wings, a cape or a tutu.

Make Your Gratitude Social – Chances are you will be updating your social media throughout your 3-Day weekend anyway, so be sure to take some of those posting breaks to tag and thank your donors too. They’re the ones who helped get you to the 3-Day, so it makes perfect sense to recognize them publicly on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as you post from the road.

Say Thank You With a Photo – A great way to thank your donors is to take a picture of you at the 60-mile banner on Day 3 and turn it into a photo card. There are countless websites (Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, Snapfish, etc.) where you can create photo cards, and adding this personal touch brings your thank you notes to a whole new level. If you’re part of a team, think about making it a team photo card; then you can order in bulk and everyone can use them!

Dedicate a Mile – Taking the photo thank you idea one step further, you could dedicate a mile to each of your donors (assuming you have 60 or fewer!). Make a small tribute card with the mile number and the donor’s name, then snap a quick picture of you holding the card when you reach that point on the route. You can post these on social media and/or send the pictures to your donors after the event is over.

Renew Your Commitment – A perfect way to show your donors how grateful you are for their support and how dedicated you are to ending breast cancer is to renew your own commitment and register for a 2016 3-Day event. Walker registration for all seven events will open on August 11.

These are just a few ideas, but you can let your creativity take you anywhere when it comes to showing your thanks.