Every year, the Susan G. Komen foundation organizes 15 three-day walks in cities across the country to raise awareness about and funds to help fight breast cancer. It’s an intense event: walkers wear out their shoes hoofing it more than sixty miles — twenty per day, sleeping in tents at night — and by the time they cross the finish line, everyone is exhausted and brimming with emotion. Most walkers are “walking for” someone — a loved one who’s fought or been lost to breast cancer — or they’ve survived it themselves. My wife and some of her friends participated in the San Diego event this past weekend, after having an amazing, life-changing time participating two years ago. I brought my camera, and was beyond moved by what I saw.
Update: Nancy, shown in the picture above, saw the blog and writes in:
My friends and I are the first picture. We met on the 3-Day and will be life long friends. I am on the right. I lost my mom 10 years ago to breast cancer and it was my 22nd walk. Stacy is in the middle. It was her 10th walk and her mom is a 9 year survivor. Roberta is on the left. She is a 10 year survivor and it was her 20th walk. This was our final walk and the end of an amazing journey. It was a very emotional Day 3. Thanks for capturing it!
Along the routes, walkers are cheered on by crowds, 3-day workers, locals who stand outside their houses holding signs, and by “walker stalkers,” who drive alongside walkers, honking and shouting encouragement.
Participants and supporters are universally decked out in pink — one lady even painted her dog pink.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2004, more than 500,000 people died from breast cancer — that’s about one percent of all deaths, period. Many walkers carried signs of remembrance for lost loved ones.
Looking through my photos from the event two years ago, I realized that out of more than 4,000 walkers each year, I had taken a picture of the lady in the photo above twice on different years, holding a sign for her sister. Wow. That’s devotion. You go, lady! (Above: 2009. Below: 2007.)
There’s also a contingent of “young survivors” — generally women under 35, and some, shockingly, in their teens — who have survived breast cancer. (There are also male survivors — one fit-looking man wore a shirt that read “RARE BUT REAL.”)
After ten miles in a single morning, walkers take a break to lunch and relax in a park.
I watched thousands of women and men cross the finish line, crying, holding each other up — a few being carried because they couldn’t walk anymore. All who looked on were deeply affected.
For more information about the 3-Day Walk for the Cure — to participate, donate or just spectate — check out their website.
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Wonderful pictures! There sadly seemed to be few men participating. I’m sure plenty of men have lost moms, wives, sisters, and daughters to breast cancer.
posted by Miss Cellania on 11-24-2009 at 1:00 pm
I participated in the Komen 5K in Knoxville TN this October. Seeing the thousands of people that were there for support and putting faces to the sheer number of people touched by cancer brought me to tears; and that is a tough thing to admit, being a military man.
posted by David on 11-24-2009 at 1:01 pm
What a touching post and what wonderful photographs. Thanks for sharing.
The city of Columbus just lost a true champion, Stephanie Spielman, to breast cancer last week. She battled the disease for over a decade and used her local celebrity to raise awareness. She will be greatly missed, but her message lives on.
posted by K on 11-24-2009 at 1:07 pm
Thanks for posting the photos, Ransom. It’s wonderful to see the photos from the San Diego walk! I’ve been doing the 3-Day in Boston for 4 years, and it’s truly inspiring. My 3-Day team is my family.
Our team has a whole “Pink Posse” of men who dress up and participate in the walk – in a pink satin gown and angel wings, pink tutu and construction hat, and a custom-made 2-piece pink Cleopatra outfit. You’d love them, Miss Cellania!
posted by NB on 11-24-2009 at 1:10 pm
@ Miss C — actually, there were quite a few men walking, but not nearly as many as women. I might walk next time, actually, so I’ll be able to tell you firsthand!
posted by Ransom Riggs on 11-24-2009 at 1:26 pm
Very nice pictures. It makes me wish I had participated. Next year!
posted by Leslie on 11-24-2009 at 1:37 pm
We have a similar event here in Vancouver. I’ve been too pregnant to participate the last two years, but I’m planning to walk next year for my mom, aunt, and countless family friends who have battled breast cancer. Thank you for posting this article!
posted by Arcadia on 11-24-2009 at 1:54 pm
Great photos…
They had me tearing up at my desk…
posted by Chrystani on 11-24-2009 at 2:29 pm
So just to tag along since it’s almost time for the National Finals Rodeo – there’s a program called Tough Enough to Wear Pink that has raised millions of dollars in local communities. Imagine if you will, an area filled with the top rodeo contestants (mostly very tough men!) wearing pink! Many local rodeos across the country sponsor a TETWP event and raise funds for their local breast cancer organizations.
posted by Lyn on 11-24-2009 at 2:57 pm
TETWP sounds awesome. I’m a male who has many a breast cancer-pink item. I’d be all for that :)
posted by Bakedpotatoes on 11-24-2009 at 3:59 pm
Beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing!
posted by Chellis on 11-24-2009 at 5:54 pm
I was walking in San Diego this weekend!!! It was amazing. I was so excited to see your pictures. They really caught the spirit of the event. I had told my 2 year old about the pick dog. Her lovy, lovy that she takes everywhere is a stuffed pick poodle. She was so excited to see the picture. Thanks so much for sharing. I am going to put a link to this site from my own blog. Hope that is ok.
Love, Jill Fellow
posted by jill fellow on 11-24-2009 at 6:19 pm
Awesome article! That was the best, most real description of what the 3-day is!
posted by Bill on 11-24-2009 at 7:21 pm
Beautiful pictures! I’m a 3-Dayer myself and never tire of seeing pics from events. I met the TAG team guy in the bra at the Chicago 3-Day this summer!
posted by Anne on 11-24-2009 at 7:44 pm
NB, I’d love to see those Pink Posse pictures!
So I looked up the Boston website. Here is a picture I particularly like:
http://www.the3day.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?view=UserPhotoDetail&PhotoID=26009&position=16&AlbumID=11417
posted by Miss Cellania on 11-24-2009 at 9:03 pm
My friends and I are the first picture. We met on the 3-Day and will be life long friends. I am on the right. I lost my mom 10 years ago to breast cancer and it was my 22nd walk. Stacy is in the middle. It was her 10th walk and her mom is a 9 year survivor. Roberta is on the left. She is a 10 year survivor and it was her 20th walk. This was our final walk and the end of an amazing journey. It was a very emotional Day 3. Thanks for capturing it!
posted by Nancy Mercurio on 11-24-2009 at 11:56 pm
Great pictures!
Men get breast cancer too. Peter Criss of Kiss is a survivor.
posted by Pam on 11-25-2009 at 6:29 am
I walked the Kansas City 3-Day in 2000. It is an intense experience of bonding, endurance, and celebrating courage in bodacious ways. The 2000 3-Day photo montage includes a picture of me at the finish line with the friend I walked for — she is a breast cancer survivor.
(For anyone who was at the KC 2000 3-Day, I was the one who sang “Walking After Midnight” at karaoke time in camp.)
Ransom, do the walk. It’s well worth it.
posted by lleachie on 11-25-2009 at 8:43 am
This is amazing. And very touching.
posted by Levinson Axelrod on 11-25-2009 at 12:24 pm
Randy–
These pics and article areawesome!! thank you for sending me the link. I’d like to add it to my FB if you would allow it. As for the sister you photographed twice, wow. All I can say for her, is “You go girl! THAT is the power of love.”
posted by Jessica K on 9-30-2010 at 1:43 am