Tag Archives: The 3-Day

Ways to Say Thank You to Your 3-Day Donors

We have reached the end of the 2014 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season, and it’s a great time for all of you who raised money for the Komen 3-Day this year to give some special thanks to the donors who supported you. Here are a few simple ways to say thank you to your 3-Day® donors:

Thank You Note – You’re probably saying, “Well, duh!” But throughout my years as a 3-Day coach, I was always surprised when I’d hear that some participants didn’t send thank you notes to their donors. Even if you had thanked them in person or in some other way, a hand-written note of thanks is a small gesture that goes a very long way.

Acknowledge their connection – When you thank your donors, take a minute to acknowledge their reason for donating. If they were supporting you in memory of someone, remember that person with them. Honor the survivors in their lives. If they donated to you just because you’re awesome and they wanted to support you, tell them they’re awesome too!IMG_6556

Tell Them How They Helped – This graphic chart shows the direct impact that donations to Susan G. Komen® (through events like the 3-Day) have on the fight to end breast cancer. Click to print:susan g. komen impact priorities challenges 2014

Don’t Ask For More…Yet – Many 3-Dayers are already registered for a 2015 3-Day, and may be tempted to use their thank you notes to ask for donations toward the next walk. Hold off on that for now. Now is the time to shine some light on the amazing contributions your donors made to you and to Komen already. It will leave them feeling warm and appreciated, and if you’re coming back to the 3-Day next year (and we hope you are!), when you are ready to make your ask for new donations, your donors will remember how gracious you were and show their generosity again.

Keep It Simple – If you want to write a detailed thank you note to a donor who had a particularly strong impact on your 3-Day experience, that’s fine, but for the most part, it’s okay to keep your thank yous simple and heartfelt. I found a great post called “22 Delightful Ways to Say Thank You”, which has some fun and concise ways to express your thankfulness.

Share the Love on Social Media – Print this sign, personalize it with a message or your donors’ names, and take a picture of yourself holding it up. thank youThen post it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (wherever your friends are) and tag your donors. They will appreciate the acknowledgement.

Record a Video Message – Thank you notes are timeless and always an effective way to convey your gratitude, but if you’re of a more technological and visual bent, you can send a video thank you message to your donors (or post it on social media and tag them in it). You should still follow the other suggestions above (keep it simple, acknowledge connections), but a video message could be a fun and dynamic way to express your appreciation to your donors.

 

However you decide to thank you donors, make it from the heart. They are the real heroes of the 3-Day, and they can never be thanked enough for their part in moving us toward our goal of a world without breast cancer.

A Message of Thanksgiving from Dr. Sheri

I’m thankful for life every day of the year, but I have to admit that this is my most favorite time of the year. As a physician and six-year breast cancer survivor, I wanted to take this opportunity to share something for which I am truly thankful: advances in screening and treatment have improved survival for U.S. women with breast cancer. In 1980, the relative five-year survival rate for breast cancer when caught early was only 74%. Today, it is 99%! As a survivor, I accept the responsibility to educate as many people as I can about breast health and share with them how they too can join in the fight to end breast cancer.susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog dr sheri prentiss thanksgiving

Thanksgiving should be a holiday in which we, as individuals, focus on our past, our present circumstances, and our future endeavors, and give thanks. It should be a day to slow down for a few hours, join hands with our family and friends, and truly reflect on the blessings in our lives. There is so much in this beautiful world to be thankful for, and the least we can do is take a moment to realize that on a day that is dedicated to giving thanks. You can still go shopping, watch your football team, go for a second serving of turkey and potatoes and tell stories about the “first” Thanksgiving. These are all very enjoyable things. But just remember that it shouldn’t be about what other people make it out to be. Thanksgiving is what you make it about, and if you think of the holiday in its namesake only, the proper notion should be clearly evident.

Enjoy this time with family and friends and I can’t wait to see you all again next year!

The 2014 Susan G. Komen San Diego 3-Day Wrap-up

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego is one of the longest running Komen 3-Day events, and you can tell that it’s something that the entire community looks forward to all year. Set against the backdrop of the stunning Pacific coastline, the San Diego 3-Day welcomes walkers and crew members from all over the country, as well as countless local supporters, for three days of belief and hope for a world where breast cancer is no more.susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego

Many walkers and crew awoke in the pre-dawn hours of Friday morning and faced rainy skies and an uncertain start to Day 1. But by the time Dr. Sheri took the stage for an always-inspiring Opening Ceremony, the clouds had lifted and Mother Nature treated us to a spectacular sunrise and a miraculous rainbow over the ocean as 2,400 dedicated women and men walked out of the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the first steps of their 60 mile journey. The first of many cheering stations spanned blocks of Del Mar Village, a neighborhood of pink supporters who come out in force every year. Just before the 5-mile point, walkers began the ascent up the notorious Torrey Pines hill (it’s a good thing this State Nature Reserve is so scenic!). Walkers were treated to a beach-front lunch stop at Kellogg Park. The second half of the Day 1 route boasted even more cheering stations, including the Scripps Oceanographic Institute (and all its many branches), with numerous spots along the way. The Mor Furniture supporters and a group of Wells Fargo employees from who came out from Arizona each had private cheering stations, as did La Valencia Hotel and La Jolla Beach/Tennis Club in La Jolla with their huge balloon arch. Many walkers were treated to smooches from the “Kissing Dog” and more lovely sights (and more hills…) through La Jolla, before the final approach to the 3-Day camp at the waterfront Crown Point Shores park.susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego

The Friday night dining tent was warmed up with high-energy entertainment by walkers/singers Eve and Mattie, followed by the Friday night camp show, where male breast cancer survivor Lee Giller moved the audience with his story. We recognized some outstanding 3-Day participants, including the Milestone Award winner, top training walk leader, and top fundraisers.

Walkers set out along the water from camp on Day 2 under sunny skies and quickly warming temps, and were almost immediately greeted by more enthusiastic public and private cheering stations (are you sensing a theme yet? San Diego loves its cheering stations!) Before long, they were on the rise again, into the hilly Sunset Cliffs neighborhood, where they took in more beautiful views of the Pacific stretching to the horizon. The New Balance cheerleaders welcomed walkers to pit stop at Sunset Elementary School. The Young Survivor Coalition (which included some walker and many cheering supporters) rallied the walkers through their second twenty miles. Lunch was at another spectacular waterfront part at Bonita Cove, and walkers leaving the park were gifted with delightful pink gerbera daisies. The route continued along the boardwalk, with many walkers stopping for the endless photo ops, including a certain pair of bow-tied male dancers just outside pit stop 3. A group of adorable therapy dogs greeted the parade of pink, and as if that weren’t sweet enough, there were free treats of ice cream and fresh-baked cookies at Fanuel Street Park, the location of pit stop 4. The final stretch of Day 2 brought walkers back along Bayside Walk, where a special Youth Corps Alumni cheering station was set up, and into camp.susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diegosusan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diegoSaturday night’s dance party, it seems, made an early preview appearance thanks to the rockin’ live entertainment from cover band Back Stage Pass, which had dozens of folks on their feet in front of the stage. The Saturday camp show featured fun games, moving speeches by young survivor Ann Hattrup, co-survivor/seven-city-walker Stephanie Kohatsu, and the San Diego Youth Corps. And then, of course, came the actual Saturday night dance party, which had the floor and stage packed from start to finish.

Sunday is a highly anticipated Day 3 in San Diego, with the lovely DeAnza Cove as the backdrop for pit stop 1, and the visiting Girl Scouts giving out boxes of Thin Mints was the talk of the morning. It was an endless display of cheering stations, from the MadCaps mother/daughter group before pit 2, to the singing students outside Francis Parker School, so the fun photo props outside Mo’s in Hillcrest. One doozy of a hill climb up Juan St. in Old Town was made easier by multiple cheer spots (fresh free chips and salsa, anyone?) and concluded shortly after at a cozy shaded park for the lunch stop. Even when walkers were still miles out from the finish line, hundreds of family and friends lined the streets at Museum Row and into the downtown area, forming a human chain of spirit and support to energize the weary walkers into the participant finish area.susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego

The setting sun was a multi-colored curtain behind the Closing Ceremony area, where our thousands of walkers, crew members and supporters packed in for the emotional ceremony. Dr. Sheri and our friend Norm Bowling from Susan G. Komen congratulated the San Diego 3-Day family on an amazing $7 million raised.susan g. komen 3-Day breast cancer walk blog 60 miles san diego

The conclusion of the 2014 3-Day season was an emotional one, but as we raised the final flag over San Diego, we were bonded with our 3-Day family in all seven of our cities (and beyond), by the mutual promise that we will never give up until we have defeated breast cancer forever. Thank you, 3-Day walkers and crew!