EXTREME 3-DAY 2011--Day 2

Believe it or not, the majority of us woke up at 5AM chilled.  We all left our tents open and were just sleeping with sheets--no sleeping bags this year.  Personally, I didn't sleep great, but what can you expect.  We quickly got dressed and put the fly and tarp over our tent.  It looked like we might get a quick shower, but we figured it was going to be so hot, everything would dry quickly.  They planned to open the route earlier than usual, at 6AM, because the temps were expected to soar once again.  After a yummy meal of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown, and banana, we were on our way again.  We arrived at the gate just a little after six, but the route still wasn't open.  Someone said that the ice vendor would not arrive early, and they were fearful that people would arrive at Pit 1, and there would be no ice.  At 6:20 the route was opened and we were on our way.

Every day on the walk we start together, but you've heard me talk about our kamikaze walkers with Connie being the leader.  Well Connie had a partner in crime this day--little Miss Allison.  For those of you who do not know Allison, she is one of the children's librarians in our town.  She also can't be more than 5 feet tall.  We used to joke that it was one step for Connie and two for Allison.  Well, that day, Allison led the pack and arrived back at camp at number 140 out of 2000.

Taking a break waiting for the route to re-open.

What started as a much cooler morning with a slight breeze, began to turn ugly at about mile 3 or 4.  There was one portion of the route where we had to walk up the street a bit, use a crosswalk, then double back on the other side of the street.  When we turned around, the sky was an ominous charcoal gray.  Oh no!  I thought there would be no rain this year.  Then began the rumbles of thunder.  The wind was blowing, and it just felt like a storm.  As we trekked up the "hill that never ends" (you've heard me mention in previous years) it began to sprinkle.  Then the sprinkle turned to a light rain.  Then came the lightning.  Yep--extreme 3-Day!  As a child, I was terrified of thunder and lightning.  I'm over that now, but believe me, the last place I wanted to be was under a bunch of trees, next to a body of water in Winchester.  Seriously?  Being familiar with the route I knew that there was a pit stop ahead.  As we pulled in, we put on our lovely pink ponchos, that Jody had so generously purchased for everyone, and were getting ready to refuel when they looked at us and told us that the route was closed due to lightning. It was me, Nichole, and Dana, and we sat down under a porch and waited.  We found out later in the day that those in front of us were never pulled off the route, they just kept walking, and those behind us were pulled into Arlington High School for a bit.  Unfortunately, that made the gap between all of us even larger.  I knew we wouldn't be able to be together the entire day, but I was missing the rest of my team.

After about 20-30 minutes, the route re-opened.  Ponchos came off and the sun started to try to peak through.  We began walking with Wayne from the Pink Angels.  The Pink Angels, if you don't already know, is the largest team in the Boston 3-Day.  They are simply amazing.  Since their creation, they have raised over 1.5 million dollars!  Very impressive!  Josie, one of their captains, has also been a huge support to the TWPs in our endeavor to become a 501c3, and personally has offered much guidance in how to lead a large team.  Thanks Josie!  Love you!  But, back to Wayne.  Since I have walked, Wayne has always been a member of the Pink Angel Posse.  He always dressed in a pink gown with big angel wings.  You will see the posse everywhere along the route, and they are always wearing something to make us laugh.  This year, Wayne was walking.  His wife is a 14 year survivor, and he had the honor of carrying the "My Wife" flag during Opening and Closing.  It was so interesting to talk with someone who is such a wealth of 3-Day knowledge and is just so passionate about finding a cure.  It was one of my favorite parts of the day.

From Winchester, we headed into Woburn where the TWP cheering station was.  I had decided to hang there and eat lunch with AZ and the kids.  It was motivating to see all of our families there.  The signs were outstanding.  McCue the Florist was super supportive, and even moved stuff around for us.  They provided watermelon, and others brought orange slices, freeze pops, squirt bottles, signs, dunking stations, and we even had photo ops with Big Papi!  My mom provided a camp chair with an awning so I took a few to sit back and relax.  I loved hearing the walkers go by saying, "We love the TWPs!"  "Those girls are the best!"  It really made me feel good.

From there, we bypassed lunch and continued on the route.  It was here that we ran into Dana's husband and her three gorgeous girls.  Every time we turned around, they were there.  And each time her husband had painted something new on the mini-van.  It just cracked us up.  This continued for the remainder of Day 2.  Her girls showed up at a pit stop with face paint, and were even allowed just inside the shoot as we were headed into camp.  What a special moment that was for Dana.

If you have been a reader of my blog, you know my friend Tracy--the woman who has been my rock for the last 5 years.  She's the one who did all crazy stuff for me while I was in treatment, and she also made the outstanding signs that lined the route on Day 2 of last year's walk.  Well, once again, Tracy came to cheer me on!  As I was walking into Lexington center I see this woman walking toward me.  Mind you, I don't have my glasses on, so to me she is just some random woman.  Then I realize my dear friend has returned to the 3-Day to walk with me for a few miles.  I am so disappointed I didn't get a picture of us.  Tracy missed us at the TWP cheering station and decided to walk up and down the route looking for us.  Before she met up with me, she had walked with both Kaitlyn and Patty.  All in all she ended up walking about 3 or 4 miles in a skirt and flip flops.  The funny thing was that she ended up with a blister!  In all her miles of training years ago, she never got one!  Must be those sassy silver sandals.  Seeing her just brightened my day and gave me the strength to keep plugging.  I keep hoping that one day she will walk with me again.  No pressure Trace!

Dana, Nichole, and Sherri with the Minute Men.

After saying good-bye to Tracy, we realized it was starting to get very hot again.  It was around 2:00, and the sun was now blazing.  Where was that lovely cloud cover we had earlier in the day?  I would even take the showers sans lightning.  We knew we only had 5 or 6 miles left, and that we could do it.  As we passed through the Lexington cheering station, we were greeted by the Minute Men.  Of course we had to stop and take a photo.

We arrived at Pit 5, 2 miles outside of camp at 2:55 when we heard rumors of the route closing again.  Hell, no!  I am not getting on another bus when I only have 2 miles left.  I asked one of the crew what was going on, and they said that if you were not back on the route by 3:00, you would be transported back to camp.  My response, "Gatorade, please."  And off we went.

At this point, we were done--not actually, but we were ready to be.  All that was left was a medium-sized hill.  No prob.  We would be back before the buses came in.  No shower lines for us.

As I said earlier, we were greeted by Dana's family as we entered camp.  In addition to them, was a member of the Event Staff who said we could not shower until 5:00 or so, and that they would prefer we did not go into our tents.  I just said that I needed to get my flip-flops.  "Okay," was his response.  How could he argue with a woman who just walked 21 miles?  Here is where I got a bit sneaky.  Having done this walk for years, I understand my body, and know how it reacts to these conditions.  I knew I had consumed enough food and Gatorade that I would be fine in the shower, but how could I argue with staff?  People were standing guard at various entrance points to the tents.  All of a sudden, I saw my break.  One staff member walked over to talk to another, and immediately I started zig-zagging through tents, sneakily making my way to the showers.  Not very "Safety Spice" like, but I just couldn't wait to get clean.

We had all agreed that we would sit together at the dining tent on Saturday night.  What the majority of the team did not not realize was that the reason we wanted to do this was because our fearless teammate, Maurine, was chosen out of 2000 people to be the camp show speaker.  Plus, the Saturday night camp show should be experienced as a team.

We didn't need to wait for the show to start, Connie was our entertainment--not just that night, but all weekend long.  I think of anyone on the team, this weekend affected her the most.  To see someone who is always laughing and joking around be turned to tears, really makes an impact on those around.  At this point Connie proceeded to call the good Dr. over to introduce the TWPs to her.  This year, Komen has a new National Spokesperson for the 3-Day for the Cure.  While many of us miss Jenne, Dr. Sheri did a fabulous job.  Connie called her to our table and made sure she knew who we were.  Dr. Sheri said that she had seen our video, and that it was outstanding.  She said  that they gave the youtube link out at some Komen media thing.  I don't know the exact details.  What a great feeling to know that the TWPs are known outside of Boston.

The camp show started with the Bank of America money booth--one of those blow up booths where the money blows everywhere, and you try to get as much as you can in a certain time.  There were two people that were chosen, and wouldn't you know that one of them was Maurine's son Dylan who was participating in Youth Corp once again.  Dylan and another young woman were able to grab almost $250 dollars which Bank of America doubled and donated to the Komen Massachusetts Affiliate.  It was an exciting start to the evening. 

Following that was Maurine's speech.  I really have no words to describe it.  Maurine is simply one of a kind.  She made everyone understand the poignancy of this walk while inspiring, motivating, and laughing along the way.  She had the perfect combination of seriousness and comedy.  I heard someone say after that they didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  It felt like you were just having a conversation with her. If you have not seen it yet, please take the time to view it.  You won't regret it. Her closing had such an impact on a young woman, Samantha, that she took a photo from her 3-Day adventure and embedded Maurine's words into it.   I was thrilled to receive an email from Samantha and immediately forwarded it to the rest of the team.  We now all have it as our profile picture on Facebook in honor of Maurine.  Our hope is that Samantha will decide to join us as a TWP next year in Boston.

After that, Youth Corp stood up and told the crowd why they raise money and volunteer their time to the 3-Day.  These kids are wise beyond their years, and have such a maturity about them.  I guess when faced with cancer, they have to.  It is uplifting to see kids realizing that they too can make a difference, yet sad too, because they want to do this when they should just be kids.  Our team is lucky enough to have 3 kids on Youth Corp.  This was Alexa's second and final year.  Next year she will be old enough to walk with us.  This was Maurine's other son, Tyler's, first year.  Of all the Youth Corp, Dylio, as he has been affectionately named, was the last to speak.  At this point, all the walkers knew who he was.  He had already done the money booth, and was on stage when his mom gave her speech.  Let me tell you--like mother, like son.  He just commanded that stage.  He was absolutely adorable. 

When the camp show ended, we decided to walk over to the Remembrance Tent.  Last year when we went, it was so emotional for all of us.  This year was no different.  In the tent there are photos of walkers that had passed over this past year.  They were such beautiful women.  The most disturbing part was that many of them were younger than me.  In the past I have written about those times when I feel so vulnerable--when I feel like I may not know it, but my cancer could still be wreaking havoc on my body.  This was one of those times.  Why am I here, and they are not?  I think about years down the road.  Will my picture be in this tent?  Then in the next moment I look at those around me and think, "No, it won't.  We will find a cure."  As I walked out of the tent, I saw my friend Mara, a fellow survivor.  Just one year ago, after turning 40, she walked for her best friend, only to be diagnosed herself after completing the walk.  I can't even begin to imagine the emotions running through her.  One year later, and she is here.  I don't think I will ever forget that hug we shared that night.  On the 3-Day you laugh and have loads of fun, but the Remembrance Tent is what it is all about.

EXTREME 3-DAY 2011--Day 1

Another year, another 3-Day.  Once again, this year's 3-Day was one of a kind.  In the four years I have been doing this event, each one has been so different from the others.  This year's walk is being deemed the "EXTREME 3-DAY" for me because, well that's what it was--extreme.

Anyone who lives in Boston knows that yes, it can be very hot in July.  We were expecting temps in the high 90's with a heat index even higher.  During the week leading up to the event as I ran into friends around town at baseball games or soccer, they were all sending their well wishes, but each one had an edge of concern about the heat.  "Make sure you drink lots!"  "Potato chips are your best friend!"  "Listen to your body!"  "Sunscreen!"  Personally, I was thrilled that there was really no rain predicted in the forecast.  I had walked in high 90's before, but that rain--it gets me every time.  However, as the week wore on and the team kept posting about tent ceiling fans, and how nervous they were about the heat, I, too, began to feel concern.  I did my best to hydrate all week long.  There was nothing else I could do--I had prepared as well as I could.

Allison and Sarah at camp

On Thursday at 5:00PM I had to pick up Allison at the library.  Allison was a newbie (I say "was" because she is now a lifer!) and was planning to spend the night at my house with Sarah, another teammate. Sarah and Allison are best friends. These two young ladies are simply amazing.  They have brought a vitality to this team of 40-somethings. They were definitely extreme walkers, and came in at the front of the pack every day.  On Thursday night, we made pizza, chatted, and finished making bracelets that M & M had planned to give all of the teammates.  (The girls made 23 and then gave up.  I thought 23 was pretty good for 9 year olds.)

At 3:15AM, Friday morning, my alarm goes off.  It really didn't need to, because I honestly didn't sleep much. We quickly dressed and headed out.  As I opened the door, I was hit with a brick wall.  The air was so oppressive and thick.  On any other day like this, I would not even leave my home--A/C all day long!  Instead, we picked up Sandy and headed to Cheryl's house to board the bus.  If you remember, last year we took a small "party bus" to the 3-Day.  Well, this year, it was a Coach bus.  It was so cool driving down the street to Cheryl and Bob's and seeing this huge bus w/all these cars parked around like it was 2 in the afternoon.  We were so efficient loading up that we were on the road by 4:15!

The ride in was pretty uneventful except for the passing out of bracelets, cards, and the cutting of shirts.  Barbara had this ingenious idea of cutting the sleeves off of our NB shirts.  She did it so well, that they looked like they were supposed to be that way.  With the sleeves off our shirts, it only felt like it was 101, not 105!

We arrived on time to be greeted by Patty and Maurine who had spent the night in Framingham.  We loaded our gear bags onto the truck and made the short walk over to Opening Ceremonies. Last year Opening and Closing were so emotional for me because I was in the Survivor Circle.  This year, Maurine was given that opportunity.  I was absolutely thrilled to be able to stand there and watch her walk in with that flag.  She is more than an inspiration.  On top of that, Patty was a flag bearer as well, carrying the "My Daughter" flag in honor of Katie and Alexa.  The most amazing part of the whole thing was that Patty and Maurine stood directly across from each other.  In a sea of people, you could see the connection between these two women.  It almost took my breath away.

After we wiped our tears, it was onto the route.  It was 7AM, and man was it HOT!!!  We started off, and figured it would be slow and steady. That it was.  When you have 2000 participants leaving one place at the same time, it has to take a while to get where you want to go.  We were slow to get on the route as well, so it seemed to take extra long.  By the time we reached the first pit stop, the lines were absolutely out of control.  I hit the porta-potties, grabbed some water and was on my way with the others.  About 7 miles into the walk I started to feel yucky.  I have done this enough to know when I am starting to get dehydrated.  The headache was coming on, and I felt a little nauseous.  I NEEDED Gatorade.  Dana handed me a snack then Connie gave me some peanuts.  It still didn't do the trick.  For the first time in four years, I questioned whether I would be able to complete this walk.  Fortunately, the next pit stop was just ahead.  As we rested for a few, I drank almost 32 ounces of Gatorade and felt much better.  I knew this day was extremely hot,
but thanks to my former friend, Mother Nature (I have since severed ties with her because she never cooperates on my 3-Day), Boston experienced record high temps on Friday--We are talking Africa hot--triple digits!!!

We left the pit stop at the fire station, and were on our way through Wellesley toward the next pit stop and cheering station.  It was about 3 miles.  We trudged on through, but just as we arrived, they announced that the route was closing.  10 miles in, and we were done for the day.  The temperatures were too extreme, and it appeared that it was difficult to keep up with the physical needs of walkers.  Medical was swamped!  I had never seen so many ambulances.  I heard some people complaining saying walkers should be able to make their own decisions, but I believe that Komen made the absolute right decision.  There were more first time walkers than ever in Boston this year.  To me, that is reason enough to close the route in these temperatures.  You really don't know what a toll this takes on your body until you have done it.  Walking 20 miles is difficult enough, but doing it in 105 degree weather is absolutely insane.  That being said, I do feel for those for whom this is a personal journey.  For me, I have been there and done that.  I understand how frustrating it must have been that your goal was just moved out of your reach by no fault of your own.  

So the waiting began.  Half of our group had been on the cooling buses, and were immediately transported to lunch which was moved to Pit 5, 3 miles from camp.  The rest of us had to wait until the people along the route where there was no shade were rallied together and transported to lunch as well.  Meanwhile, I was supposed to be meeting Andy and the kids a half mile up the road at the cheering station.  If you know my stalkarazzi husband, you know that if we can't come to the cheering station, the cheering station will come to us.  Soon after my phone conversation, he arrived with the kids, cherries, and drinks.  It definitely helped to pass the time.

While we waited, texts went back and forth between team members making sure that everyone was accounted for.  The crew came by with candy, ice, and Gatorade.  They were doing their best to keep everyone comfortable.  During this time, someone created a sign and was passing it around to different teams.  I agree, I think we were the champions that day!

We missed several buses, because we didn't stampede everyone, and ended up waiting almost 2 hours before we were picked up.  We had talked to the rest of the group and they had eaten lunch and were waiting for transport back to camp.  When our bus finally arrived, we piled in refreshed by the cool air that greeted us.  Almost immediately after sitting down, many of us dozed off.  It was an eight mile ride to lunch.  We awoke to see a ginormous line waiting to board the exact bus that we are on.  Hell no!  We were not getting off this bus only to wait for two hours for another bus.  We would forgo lunch so that we could arrive at camp at a reasonable hour.  As we looked closely at the line, the 9 missing TWPs were at the front of it.  As several people climbed off heading to lunch, we waited in anticipation for our fellow teammates to board.  As soon as we saw the first one, we started, "TWP!  TWP!  TWP!"  Yes, we were together again!

As we arrived back to camp they had an air-conditioned gymnasium waiting for us.  We were one of the first groups there, so we were the lucky ones with chairs.  The dining tent and 3-Day Main St. were open so we all decided to get our legacy pins.  Legacy pins are earned by doing different things during your 3-Day experience.  There is a team captain pin, a survivor pin, a 5K pin, a Power Team pin (which thanks to our donors, we were able to receive) and many others.  On this day I received a pin I never thought I would--the Sag bus pin!  You hop on the Sag bus if you feel you cannot walk anymore.  Well, this year, I had to get it because they closed the route.  From there we went to the Camp Post Office where we retrieved all of the mail that was sent to us.  Thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragement and support.  It meant the world to me.  I even received letters from fellow walkers that were so moved by our video!  Absolutely unbelievable.  My best letter that I received was from my mom.  Every year she writes me a mushy letter telling me how proud she is of me.  Well, at this point she had been telling me how great I was for 4 years.  She needed to change it up a bit for fear of my head exploding.  She decided to write a song to the tune of Gilligan's Island.  I have included it below for you to see:

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

A tale of the TWPs.  

Who would've guessed when two girls met,

That this would come to be.

One day Sherri took a walk,

A walk of 60 miles.

At the end when she looked up,

She saw a great big smile.

Patty said, "I know your beat,

And tired to the bone,

But this day I will promise you,

You'll never walk alone."

So Cheryl turned her hair to pink,

Sue's hubby took the twins.

Theresa and Gretchen put down their books,

And Vicky said, "I"M IN!"

Then Tina joined, and Kaitlyn too,

And pretty soon Maurine.

Ten strong women side by side,

Make an incredible team.

New Balance came a-calling,

The news had spread so far,

You said yes, we'll do your show,

We want to be the stars.

We want to be the stars.

We will walk.

We will run

We'll do a dash, 

With ease.

We'll work for sure.

We'll find a cure...

Cuz we're the TWPs!!!! 

 Isn't that awesome? Thanks Mom!

At around 5:45 they finally allowed us into the showers.  They were fearful that with the heat people would pass out.  Believe me.  You don't want to pass out in the showers.  They will drag your butt out naked.  We weren't even allowed to set up our tents until 7:00.  I guess they figured we would just bake in them.  After we showered, we ate dinner, got ourselves settled and decorated tents.  They looked pretty awesome.  Lots of tiaras, photos, and blinkie lights.  By the way, don't even ask about tent decorating.  I'll fill you on that on Day 2. 

At around 9:00 we tried settling in.  It still had to be in the 90's.  I was happy that I broke down and bought a personal fan.  I climbed onto my air mattress, pointed it directly at my face, and tried my best to rest up for the day ahead.

Stay tuned for Day 2...

Royally yours,
Sherri

WOW!!!

WOW!!!  That just about sums it up.  I am having such difficulty finding words to express the emotions I have experienced today.  I cannot believe that I am part of such an amazing group of people.  If you haven't heard it by now, (those of you on Facebook, please forgive us for our 18 million posts that clogged up your news feed today) the TWPs reached our $100,000 goal!  This morning we still had $3,500 to raise and now we are at $100,292 and have an additional member!!!  Gretchen's brother decided to join our team.  Can you believe it?  I hardly can.  Earlier in the week we just surpassed the $90,000 mark.  When we started getting close, I became so consumed with this goal that my entire day was spent alternating between Facebook, posting how much more we needed and the 3-Day site, checking to see if our thermometer had risen.  In the last two days I have received over $400 in donations.  Simply amazing.  Social networking truly does work!  I have had my mom's high school friends donate to me!  These are women that my mom hadn't seen in over 40 years and just recently reconnected with.  The thing that shocked me the most were the donations that came in today from those who had already donated to other members on our team.  Having such a large interconnected team, people often have to choose who to donate to.  By becoming a non-profit, we will have the ability to divide funds among teammates.  I had two different people donate to me today having already donated to others.  One family has even donated to TWO others on the team already!  When something like that happens, it really makes you think.  I can turn on the news on a daily basis, and 80% of it is so depressing.  Then I can have a day like today, and the world is a wonderful place.  Again, I wish I could find the words to express what this day has meant to me.  All I can simply say is thank you.  My life has been changed because of every one of you.

Royally yours,
Sherri

What a difference a year makes!

It's is 5AM, and I can't sleep.  One week from now, I will be getting off of a coach bus in Framingham, ready to embark on my fourth 3-Day journey.  Maybe that is why I can't sleep.  I am too excited.  I have already begun to run through my packing list making sure that I have all of the necessities.  This year I purchased a new lightweight bag and am excited to use it.  It has lots of space to hold everything including all of our tent decorations.  If we don't win tent decorating this year, I am done--no more decorations for me.

As I sit here I can't help but think what a difference a year makes.  Last July, Patty and I started on the journey of a lifetime with the filming of our New Balance video--Walk Like a Princess.  It was during this weekend last year when we had the pool party and found out what we were really in for--the cameras, the microphones, the interviews, and the friends that we made.  I recently viewed  it for the first time in a long time the other day.  It was just as amazing.  We have received over 63,000 hits.  It really was pretty incredible to be a part of something like that.  But the thing that has been even more incredible, is the impact that it has made on those around us.  Our little team of 10 is now an army of 31.  30 women and one prince, who have each raised at least $2300 and trained for hundreds of miles.  Yes, I said hundreds.  There are very few people around Amesbury who do not know the Tough Warrior Princesses. We can usually be seen in the early morning hours of the weekend, dressed in pink, walking around Amesbury or Newburyport.  Just this year we have raised $96,500--just $3,500 shy of our $100,000 goal.  However, we have high hopes that in the next week we will surpass that $100,000 mark.  While I am eternally grateful to those of you who have already donated, if you have forgotten, no need to worry.  Believe it or not, you can still donate. Just click on the link to the side of this page. Think of the lives that will be impacted by this money.  Maurine and my friend Bridget, (you have hopefully all read her blog--My Big Girl Pants) are both recipients of Komen grants.  Our money is helping them to live their lives the way that they should be lived.

While the money this year is terribly exciting, I can't help but look at the bigger picture.  As most of you may know, the TWPs have filed to become an official non-profit.  It took lots of work to create Articles of Association and Bylaws, but we did it and are just waiting to hear back from the IRS.  What I am most proud of is our mission statement.  We talked a lot about what we want the TWPs to become and what purpose they should serve, but to put it all on paper was very challenging.  We wanted everything to be perfect--not too specific, but not too broad.  Drum roll....I would like to share with you the TWP mission statement!

The Tough Warrior Princesses are committed to raising funds for breast cancer research, educating and enlightening the public on the need to find a cure, and providing support to local women and their families impacted by cancer.

Pretty good, huh?  In the process of doing this, I just so happened to be reading Promise Me which is Nancy Brinker's story of how she started Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  It is simply amazing to me, that something that started so small, just like the TWPs, has blossomed into an organization that is the global leader in funding breast cancer research.  It definitely makes me think about what we can accomplish.  By no means do we have plans to reach far and wide, but we would like to broaden our scope to include women with all types of cancer.   From experience, we know that being involved in something bigger than you can make a great impact on your life.  Our hope is to expand the TWPs to encompass those who want to make a difference in the lives of a woman diagnosed with cancer.  We want to include people who may not be able to walk 60 miles, but feel that there is a need to do something, whether it is babysitting, making a meal, or driving someone to treatment.  Simply put, we want to help make the lives of women battling cancer just a bit easier.

So while we wait for the IRS, life on the 3-Day continues.  This Saturday is Street Team Day, a day when we canvas businesses along the route and let them know that 1,600 people will be traipsing through their neighborhood in just a few days.  It is a fun day where I get to see my 3-Day family who I have really missed since the Get Started Meetings have ended.  Plus, it gets a walk in.  I know I am ready, but one more walk can't hurt.

On Monday I get to spend some time with my TWP family.  Lisa S. has graciously offered her home for a little TWP party.   Every time our entire group gets together, it is always for a reason, whether it be a meeting where we have to discuss business or a walk.  While walks are entertaining, and can be downright hysterical, we have really had little time to just hang out and talk--no business.  I am looking forward to bonding with my "sole sisters" as we begin this journey.

You, too, can be part of our 3-Day journey.  Be sure to visit Spectator information to find out about all the ways that you can support us.  Consider coming to closing ceremonies Sunday afternoon at UMASS Boston.  It is so amazing,  I can't describe it.  It needs to be experienced.   Or if you would rather join us on Saturday, in addition to the cheering stations listed on the 3-Day site, the TWPs will have their own cheering station at the McCue the Florist parking lot on Saturday July 23 from 10am–2:15pm. It is located at 200 Cambridge Street, Woburn on the corner of Rte. 3 and Lexington St. next to the 99 Restaurant.  Our families will be there, and hopefully you will be too! 

Thank you all again for your continued support.  Many of you have been with me on this journey for 4 years.  For that, I am forever grateful.  I wouldn't be where I am today without all of you! XO

Royally yours,
Sherri