A Different View of Things

As you all are very aware of...I have participated in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure now for several years.  2011 was my 4th year and it was a different one.  Batgirl and I decided to crew this time instead of walk...for several reasons.  To give our donors a year's break, to give our feet a year's break and to serve the walkers, see what the other side was like.  Mom has crewed for 2 years so far and loved it so we thought we'd give it a try.

Our Pit 1 Crew van.  Check out the awesome bra ;-)

We both wanted to work in a Pit Crew.  These are the crews who set up the pit stops each day and serve the walkers snacks, water, sports drinks, pick up their trash and monitor the oh so lovely portapotties!  Following mom's advice, we signed up for Pit Crew 1, the first one each day that the walkers would come through.  Now, I am NOT a morning person.  Never have been, never will be.  But we had to be out of bed and ready to go between 3:30am and 4:30am each morning.  It really wasn't so bad.  Not that I want to do it continually, but for 3 days, it wasn't bad (and our theme was Pajama Party so we slept in our outfits!). And we had to sleep in the tents again this year...I've only done that the one time (my first walk), but with an air mattress, again...it really wasn't that bad.  

Pajama Party!!  Pit 1 Crew after our first set up.

I was the clicker on Day 1. By about 600 walkers, my thumb was getting quite a workout.

Jen made it to Pit 1!

It helped that we had an AMAZING group of ladies to work with.  
Our Pit Crew Captain, Carrie, has worked this crew several times and knew the ropes, along with our Co-Captain Michelle.  They were awesome.  Most of us had never worked a pit crew, or any crew for that matter, they were so patient with us.  And amazingly we all got along really well!  You just never know when you put 10 women together like that for extended periods of time, right?  We did have one lady who complained 95% of the weekend, but by the end of the weekend, we were politely ignorning her.  I think it was just her personality, I'm not even sure she realized she did that the whole time.

Cathy (from my neck of the woods!), Anna, me, Carol...the drink girls on Day 2.  And yes, I saved my purple pajamas for Day 2, game day!

My beautiful high school friend Lara came by to visit for a couple of hours on Saturday after I was done working.  She has been battling breast cancer all last year and is winning!  She is AMAZING!!!!

So...what was it like crewing?  Well, besides the early mornings, it was hard work.  We had to set up the large tents, unload and load boxes of water, ice, all tables, jugs, equipment, etc...each morning, then tear it all down after our pit stop closed (usually around 10am).  We were sore, but in a different way from walking.  

Setting up the medic tent

Oh yea...one of the nurses that was at our pitstop each morning was a fellow Horned Frog :-)

Connie, Cathy, Anna and Mary

Words can't really express how close we got to our crewmates...uh huh... ;-)

 We saw all of the walkers, saw all of the teams, the smiles, the weariness, the first ones through, the last ones through, we gave out stickers and smiles ourselves and tried to encourage those who were exhausted and hurting.  We were given pins and gifts sometimes by walkers who were thankful to have us working.  We were able to have short conversations with survivors who stopped for water.  To put it simply, we served, but not because we had to, because we were so thankful to the 2,000 people out there who were walking for a cure.  We were proud to be a part of something that so many others are passionate about.  You could see it on their faces, it was beautiful.

I don't know who they were, but I loved catching this sweet moment.

This is Mary in the light blue shirt, one of our crewmates.  She is a survivor.  Her husband, whom you see in the blue holding their daughter, was one of the first to finish the walk.  He also is the one who found her lump.  They are such an inspiring family!

The Memorial tents

When we were done each day, our group headed over to lunch to help out that crew just because we could, it's something our Team Captain has been doing for several years and it was a great idea.  We usually ended up walking around with trashbags so walkers didn't have to get up while they were resting for a bit.  We also carried around jugs of water and sports drink to refill their bottles.   And even though we were "working", I felt guilty when walkers would tell ME "Thank you".  Because I wasn't the one hurting or limping this year, I hadn't raised $2300 this year, I was thankful to be able to help them!

Batgirl, Carol and Carrie...waiting to cheer on the walkers as they head to Closing Ceremony!

Team Priceless 2011

Crewing definitely gave me a much better appreciation for those who continually crew each year (like my mom!).  I will remember to say "Thank you", I will remember to smile, I will remember to give them any gifts I can carry with me on the route next year.  I will make sure they know how important they are to me as a walker, because I am not sure I have done that in the past.  

Our current plan is to crew every other year.  Although both Batgirl and I missed walking terribly, we wouldn't trade the friendships we have made with our Crew girls for anything.  It was really cool getting to know more than just the few people on our walking team. 

Anna, Marilyn and her daughter Michelle

Mom didn't crew last year, she thought it was time for her to stop.  However, she signed up as soon as the walk was over this last year because she missed being there so badly :-)  We totally understand how she feels and we are so, so glad she will be there with us this coming November!  My teammates love having mom hugs each day :-)

So proud of Jen!!

This year, 2012, will mark my 5th year.  I remember during my first year thinking "oh my goodness, I can't believe people have done this more than a few years".  Now I think "I can't imagine not doing this every year".   For Damma, for Lara B, for Lynn G (all breast cancer)...for my dad, my uncle, my aunt, my Papa, for Tim Y, for Jason S (other cancers)...and the list goes on.  I will keep walking because they have fought or are still fighting the biggest battle of their lives.  I have seen firsthand...Chemo is awful, mastectomy's are tough, radiation hurts...walking 60 miles and raising a mere $2300 to try and stop this disease is the easiest thing I could ever do when you put it in perspective.

As always, we would love for you to join us in 2012, Team Priceless is up and going again!  5 team members already, but there is so much more room left for you to join!  Just visit my 3Day Page for more information.  And if you can, please donate.  It all goes towards breast cancer research and education.  For anyone who donates $100+ to the walk, I will send you a Christmas ornament for your 2012 tree, to remind you of your part in helping to stop this disease.


3-Day Intro Video from Komen 3-Day for the Cure on Vimeo.