My fifth Breast Cancer 3-Day is upon us!
Tomorrow, Wendy and I will head to crew day in the Southdale parking lot, where we learn all about how to be a crew member (yes, we know already) and then have time to prep our van for the walk.
This year, our theme is “Vegas or Bust”, combining two things we love a lot. We have dealer visors, armbands, and tshirts with custom logos. We’re handing out dice-shaped beads. The beads are really popular.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, our job as sweep drivers is to pick up walkers along the route who can’t go any farther. We take them to stops where they can get water, food, and medical attention. We also cheer the walkers on; I spend much of the day leaning out the window yelling and waving a cowbell. It helps keep them going. We see a lot of disappointed and upset people in the van, and I think we do a pretty good job of cheering them up.
We’ll be up bright and early Friday morning (3am! WOO!) so we can drop our bags off and get our vans ready before opening ceremonies. Saturday and Sunday, we’ll sleep in til 4am. We get to see the sunrise for three whole days.
I can’t wait to see camp again. I always forget what a huge undertaking the 3-Day is. And sometimes, just sometimes, I miss showering in a semi trailer.
You know what I don’t miss?
Walking 60 miles. Don’t get me wrong; I’m beyond thrilled that I did that multiple times. One thing I know for sure: proving to myself I could do something as big as the 3-Day has had a profound effect on my life. I just don’t miss the actual suffering during the walk. It helps us be really great sweep drivers, though. We know how they’re feeling. If you don’t experience abject misery at least once on the 3-Day, you’re a very rare exception.
I can’t wait for closing ceremonies.
I’d set a fundraising goal of $500, and somehow managed to reach $1,005 just this morning. Thank you so much to everyone who’s supported me this year, and in the past. If you’d like to help out, you still have time. There’s no such thing as raising too much money to find a cure for breast cancer.
See you next week!
I think you’re gonna rock it. You two are some of the most cheerful bitches I’ve ever experienced & a lot of tired walkers will be really lucky to wear out in your presence this weekend. I’ve been forwarding all of these 3 day updates to my old roommate’s mother, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer (but things are looking pretty good!) about a month ago. She’s so stoked that you’ll be there!
i’ve been told that’s why they asked us to be sweep captains next year. AWESOME.
i’m glad that her prognosis is good!!