October 3-Day Walk Update

Today is the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness month and what a way to start the day. The Huntsville Times newspaper was in the driveway printed in pink glory. I wore my new pink New Balance 993s that were given to me by James and his staff at New Balance Huntsville for organizing DIVA Night for area 3-Day walkers.

Later in the day, I received an email from teammate, Abby Clark, stating that the $250 donation from Breast Alliance had been posted to her account. Abby and I were both finalists in the “Meet Your Goal” contests sponsored by Breast Alliance and All Plus Size Bras. It became a battle between me and one other person for first place and I emailed Brian from Breast Alliance to ask if I won, could the money be re-directed to another 3-Day walker and he said yes. My teammates, my Facebook friends and 3-Day Tweeps went to work. We worked our magic and I won by 1 vote.

Pink for Life and New Balance will be hosting a Breast Cancer Survivors' Walk Tuesday, October 5 @ 6:30. Know a survivor? Want to walk with us? Email me for more information. Click here to view the invitation and RSVP.

Several of my teammates will be participating in the 7^th Annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run on Saturday, October 16 and it would be great to see you along the route supporting all the runners and walkers. I will be attempting my first 5k after 10 weeks of NOBO training through Fleet Feet.

Three weeks from today, October 22, my teammates and I will be pounding the streets of Atlanta in the boldest breast cancer event, the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. My team now consists of 11 walkers and 3 crew members. We have raised over $28,000 but still have three team members who need to reach the $2,300 minimum in order to participate. If you have been waiting to make a donation, NOW is the time. All donations are tax deductible. Please consider donating to Abby, Donna or Sandra. http://the3day.org/goto/pinkforlife

If you can’t donate financially, please consider sending a note or letter of encouragement/support to us as a team (Pink for Life) or individually. After walking 20+ miles in one day, an uplifting word of encouragement or hand drawn picture from a child is just what we will need to make it another day. All letters must be postmarked by October 12 in order for us to receive at camp.

Pink for Life team members:
Tammy Klueger
Trina Foslien
Jenny McNees
Stacie Flinn
Mary Wilson
Jennifer Secrest
Joyce Myers
Rachael Myers (crew)
Lindsey Fowler (crew)
Abby Clark
Susan Foerke
Sandra Baker

Charles Baker (crew)

Donna Skinner

3-Day for the Cure
ATTN: NAME OF PARTICIPANT
12195 Highway 92, Suite 114-392
Woodstock, GA 30188

Thank you to everyone for your support along this incredible journey since February! I just might register for 2011 :)

September Update

Only 43 days until I hit the streets of Atlanta to conquer 60 miles in 3 days! If you haven't donated yet, please do so today. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Click here to donate.

The training miles are really adding up quickly. So far I've walked 371 miles and raised $2,970. Our team is walking every weekend and you are welcome to join us. Just let me know you are interested and I can send you an invitation.

I am also running on Monday and Thursday nights in preparation for the 7th Annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run one week before walking in Atlanta. You may donate to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation by clicking here. All money raised will be used to bring Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) to the Tennessee Valley. BSGI is a follow-up to mammography that can significantly aid in the detection of early breast cancer by providing a more precise image of breast tissue. BSGI aids in determining the extent of the disease and provides less false positive readings than previous technologies. Early detection saves lives…help us make every breast cancer patient a survivor!

If you are a 3 Day walker within driving distance of Huntsville, you are invited to DIVA Night at New Balance Friday, September 17. Send me an email and I'll give you the details!

Pink for Life and New Balance will be hosting a Breast Cancer Survivors' Walk Tuesday, October 5 @ 6:30. Know a survivor? Email me and I'll pass along the details.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and New Balance of Huntsville will donate $1 of every sale to Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure on behalf of our team. Please visit James and his staff and show your support for Pink for Life. New Balance is located at 1395 Enterprise Way between Five Guys and Jason's Deli.

Team Pink for Life would like to officially welcome Abby Clark  and Susan Foerke to our team! Together we have raised over $24,000 for breast cancer research and community programs.

September 1st ALREADY!?

The excitement is building as the days are counting down. Atlanta spectator information was posted today and you can also send walkers/crew a letter from home. Make sure they are postmarked by October 12. Click here for address.

Pink for Life will be hosting a DIVA night for any 3 Day walker willing to travel to Huntsville on Friday, September 17. Email for an invite.

Pink for Life will also be hosting a Breast Cancer Survivors' Walk on Tuesday, October 5 at New Balance.

I am one of 10 finalists to win the "Meet Your Goal" contest from All Plus Size Bras.  Please vote to help me win $250 toward reaching my goal of $5000 for Susan G.Komen.

August Update

Only 79 days until I walk 60 miles! Now is the time to donate before time slips away from you ;)

Thanks to your generous donations, I've raised $2,726 and I've increased my goal to $5,000! Currently I am at 55% and my team is at 81% of our goal of $23,100. A HUGE thank you to those of you who have already donated! 

I have walked 256 miles blister and injury free and still have 11 weeks until the event. If you’d like to join me and my team on any of our training walks, let me know and I’ll include you on the email invitations.

Six of the seven walkers on my team have reached our minimum of $2,300 in order to participate. However, I am asking my friends and family to consider donating to Jennifer Secrest so she can reach the critical $2,300. This would allow Jennifer to focus on training instead of fundraising. Click here to donate. 

Below are some of the events that have taken place since my last update:

Ø       New Balance Huntsville asked to partner with Pink for Life to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for SGK. Please stop by and thank them for their support of our team and SGK. (New Balance is a national sponsor of Susan G. Komen)

Ø       As part of my cross-training for the 3 Day walk, I joined the No Boundaries running program. I am training to run the Liz Hurley Ribbon Run 5k one week prior to walking 60 miles in Atlanta

Ø       Boston and Cleveland have been hosts to thousands of walkers and crew members. Chicago is the next city to host this weekend. You can see inspiring/breathtaking photos from each of these events on Susan G. Komen's 3-Day for the Cure Facebook page.

Ø       Shop for the Cure was held on July 8 and raised over $1,500

Ø       Car Wash for the Cure was held on July 17 and raised $252

Ø       Mary, Lindsey and myself attended the Preview Expo in Atlanta July 24

Keep current on all our events by following Pink for Life on Facebook.
Save the Date
Ø  August 21 - Car Wash for the Cure at CVS Pharmacy on Cecil Ashburn Dr. 10am – 2pm

If you made a donation in honor or memory of someone, you can see the names on my personal donation page http://the3day.org/goto/tammyk  and my personal blog http://tammyk3day.blogspot.com. The names of these individuals will also be on the back of my 3 Day credential as I walk each mile.

79 days and counting

Yes, you read that correctly! In 79 days my team and I will hit the streets of Atlanta to conquer 60 miles in 3 days. As each day passes and The 3-Day event gets closer I get more anxious. I'm hopeful that all the training miles will leave each of us with the least amount of blisters possible. However, we will have body glide, mole skin and all the other first aid items we will need. If we don't have it, you can bet some other 3 Day walker will!

Boston and Cleveland have already experienced the thrill of hosting hundreds and even thousands of walkers and crew members in their cities. Chicago is the next city to host the 3 Day community. I'm on pins and needles waiting for the updates to start flowing in. I get so emotional looking at the pictures and reading updates from the walkers.

I'm going to leave you with a recent article in a Texas newspaper. If it touches you, please donate to our team and help us find a cure. Click here to donate.

3 Day Happenings

Wow, wow, wow! Mary, Lindsey and myself hit the road at 5:15am  Saturday and drove to Atlanta for the preview expo. We made a pit stop in Cartersville for a drink and three guys were leaving and asked when we were walking (they read the magnet on my car) and gave me a donation. How awesome is that? Thanks @knittingbagel for your magnet design!

This past weekend was the first official 3 Day walk in Boston. Many walkers kept all of us updated via Facebook, blogger and twitter. I got chills and even shed some tears reading the updates and looking at the pictures from the event. I saw pics of one lady with a cast on her arm and another lady walking on crutches. That is dedication! There were pictures of survivors at cheering stations thanking the walkers for what they are doing.

While Boston had it's share of walkers and crew, Atlanta had hundreds of people at the Preview Expo. There were tables all around the room with information for crew, make a sign, training walks, find a team, etc. New Balance and REI were on hand to sell merchandise at a discount to the 3 Day walkers. Breakout sessions were available for blister care, injury prevention, life on the 3 day, and attack the pack. Lindsey got to speak with the Crew Coach and was assigned to team signage. She is so excited!

Lindsey and the Atlanta banner.

Mary and Tammy

Training walk leaders featured.Who is in the lower left corner?

I even got to meet some of my 3 Day tweeps for a picture with the Atlanta banner.

@abby3dayatlanta, @gphigirl, @2girls2boys, @LilShadetree, @jerusalemlover

All of this excitement has motivated me even more and my team still needs your donations. We want to be a power team and need to raise $23,100 in order to do so. Please consider a tax deductible donation today. Click here to donate.

100 Days - The Countdown is ON!

100 days from today team Pink for Life will have completed 20+ miles on the first day of the 3 Day event. Online check-in opened yesterday and several of us have already checked in. Six of our seven walkers have met the required minimum $2300 in order to participate. We still need your help to get our seventh walker to the minimum. You may donate online to Jennifer Secrest here. Remember your donation is tax deductible and greatly appreciated!

Shop for the Cure was a huge success this past Friday despite the rain and we raised over $1500 for Susan G. Komen. Thanks to all of our friends and family for coming out to support us! We have now raised over $16,000 for breast cancer research and community outreach programs.

Our third car wash is planned for this Saturday but the forecast is now calling for a 60% chance of rain. Seriously considering canceling it!

Saturday, July 24 is the Preview Expo in Atlanta. Six of the nine team members will be hitting the road with excitement. We will get to practice tent set-up, meet the crew, attend workshops and take our picture with the 3 Day for the Cure Banner. Lindsey and Rachael will attend the Crew 101 workshop.

Saturday, July 31, Mary and I will travel to Cullman for a 15 mile training walk with Team Brock 360 and other area 3 Day walkers at Heritage Park.

If you'd like to be included on any of our training walks, send me an email and I'll put you on the distribution list.

My 3 Day Journey Begins

So yesterday I finally hit the submit button and I am officially registered for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure in Atlanta October 22-24. I am up for the challenge. I think :) Surely I can walk 60 miles in 3 days. Don't you think? I have chosen to follow the 24 week training program although I have 37 weeks before the event.

I have wanted to do something meaningful for quite some time. I have a very good friend whose husband and son both were diagnosed with brain tumors in 2004 and founded Miles for Hope. Recently a dear friend of mine and former co-worker was diagnosed with a brain tumor as well. I really wanted to participate in the Miles for Hope - Moving Towards a Cure but I have a previous event scheduled for that weekend. The 3 Day gives me a chance to honor my grandmother who passed away a couple of years ago. She was a breast cancer survivor but lost her life to a blood clot.

By participating in the 3 Day, I am committed to walking 60 miles in 3 days as well as raising a minimum of $2300 to help raise awareness and find a cure for breast cancer. Would you please consider a donation of $10, $25, $50 or even $100? You may donate securely online via my 3 Day personal page, calling 800-996-3DAY or writing a check. If you prefer to write a check, please email me for details. If you would like to honor or remember someone with your donation please email me and I will add their name to my blog and my personal 3 Day page.

This blog will be my way of keeping everyone updated on my training progress as well as fundraising efforts.

Think Pink!