Pounding the pavement took on a new meaning last weekend.
Thousands of walkers and their teams, with names such as Keep-A-Breast, Strutters for Udders and Walking on Sunshine, completed a 60-mile trek Friday, Nov. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 12, in the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
With approximately 4,500 walkers this year, the San Diego event attracts more participants than any of the other 11 host cities, and that says a lot about the community, according to Sarah Richardson, 3-Day representative. The other 3-Day destinations, including Boston, Mass., Tampa Bay, Fla. and Seattle, Wash., average 2,000 participants.
People from all walks of life join the effort. The youngest San Diego participant and breast cancer survivor is a 17-year-old. The oldest walker and survivor is 86. Of the 4,200 walkers, 450 are female survivors and 46 are male survivors of the disease.
In order to participate, walkers must train, dedicate three days to the event and raise a minimum of $2,200. San Diego walkers raised $11.3 million this year, topping last year’s $10.3 million, according to Emily Callahan, public relations manager for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
But the statistics tell only part of the story. The 3-Day began with opening ceremonies for walkers, family and friends at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Walkers covered 20 miles every day, beginning at approximately 6:30 a.m. Although the route was kept confidential for safety reasons, participants made their way through the beach communities. La Jolla stops included Torrey Pines State Park, Kellogg Park and Scripps Park. The walk ended each evening before dark, with decorated sweep vans collecting any remaining walkers and bringing them to the 3-Day campground.
In addition to support every few miles at several designated cheering stations and pit stops, walkers relied upon approximately 400 volunteer crewmembers. The crew provided traffic control, food preparation and medical treatment for everything from blisters to dehydration.
Crewmember Judy Slack of Escondido drove a sweep van, “Bahama Mama,” that gave tired or injured walkers some pink M&Ms and a ride to the next station.
“It’s not a race; it’s totally endurance,” she said.
Now a one-year breast cancer survivor, Slack walked in last year’s event. “I could only walk about seven or eight miles at that time, but it gave me a goal; something to look forward to,” Slack said. She and her eight team members raised $30,000 last year.
Slack said she was touched by the camaraderie and the sacrifice.
“All these perfect strangers, and half have probably never been touched by breast cancer, still want to do something to help,” she said. “Their feet will hurt, and their legs will hurt, but they just give and give and give.”
When each day’s walk came to an end, participants stayed together as a unit, camping for two nights in tents and using equipment provided by event organizers. Before lights out, campers shared a meal and entertainment.
Friday night featured karaoke, and Saturday night provided a camp show. Slack, who shared her story at last year’s event, said this is a special time.
“It lets you know why you’re walking,” she said. “The experience is incredible.”
Petco Park marked the walk’s final destination on Sunday, with closing ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. Richardson said that since the San Diego walk was the final of the 2006 series, it was even more emotional.
Proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation, begun in 1982 on a promise made between two sisters, Nancy Goodman Brinker, and her dying sister, Susan Goodman Komen. Its four-fold mission is research, education, screening and treatment. The foundation receives 85 percent of the net proceeds from the 3-Day walks; the other 15 percent is donated to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund to provide funds for research, treatment, prevention and education.
“As the largest private funding source of breast cancer research and outreach programs in the world, the Komen Foundation recognizes that finding the cures for breast cancer will require true public and private partnership, working together to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease,” said Diane Balma, director of public policy, Susan G. Komen Foundation.
For more information, visit www.the3day.org or go to www.komen.org.