One thing I would probably recommend to make your camping experience on the Breast Cancer 3-Day or Avon Walk for the Cure more comfortable is a pillow. I bought a small pillow from my local camping store because it was easy to pack in my bag. A full size pillow definitely would have been more comfortable, but no matter how you slice it… after you finish walking 20 miles each day, you’re going to sleep! Still, I love that this year 3 Day Gear is offering fleece pillow cases with the 3-Day logo. They would make a cozy addition to your home, or your campsite for $24.99.

Last year Nikki and I discussed creating custom t-shirts for our team. A few months before the actual walk we had several other girls ask to join our team. Courtney had a connection for a company that does customized t-shirts, so we ordered some for both ourselves and our men. I think they turned out really well, but next time I would prefer to do embroidered shirts instead. They are much better quality, and the design will not wear like screen printing does.

I am walking in the Race for the Cure in June, and Dave has said that he will join me. I thought it would be cute for us to have matching shirts, so I have been playing with the design foundry on www.Threadsmith.com. It is really easy to upload your own logo, and there is a huge selection of products and gifts you can create. I selected a pink women’s t-shirt with a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon. These are definitely going to be a great way for us to help promote our team and breast cancer awareness, as well as earn more funds for Susan G. Komen.

One of the coolest parts about the 3-Day was seeing all of the men that also participated. I won’t lie, the vast majority were women. However, there were quite a few husbands, fathers and sons out there. There was also a group of soldiers who walked in 2008 with us in full uniform, including huge bags on their backs (see photo below). It was really amazing and inspiring. I love this shirt that is actually put out by the AVON folks that says Real Men Wear Pink. It is only $15 too, of which 100% of the net proceeds go toward the cause. Get it for the breast lover in your life!

This is the time of year when the 3-Day Gear website gets updated with all of the new items for the upcoming year’s walk. There are some super cute new designs for the 2009 walk. I am still a little sad that I won’t get to participate. No one says I can’t support the cause by making a few purchases though!

Also, if you participated last year and were not able to afford to buy souvineers, don’t fret! There are actually items on clearance still available from the walk in 2008! Did you buy your city’s pin? I bought a fabulous DFW one at the camp store, but you can get one for only .99 now! I paid $7 for mine in November. There is also a 3-Day Training t-shirt for only $4.98, which is perfect for getting noticed in your neighborhood or local park.

One of the best bits of advice I can give you on the fundraising front is get people interested in what you are doing. If you are passionate about the cause, wear pink, and are willing to tell everyone what you are doing and why– they are more likely to feel motivated to donate.

Keep your eye out for more clearance items on the site throughout the year, and make sure to take advantage of the $4.99 shipping on any order. I remember last year the shipping cost were outrageous, so I am glad they made that change.

I found some awesome pink camo t-shirts online a month ago that I was going to order for our team so that we could be unified during our garage sale and the actual Breast Cancer 3-Day event. When we found out how much they were going to cost, we weren’t so sure we wanted to move forward with them. We’ve all been working hard to fundraise all year and are strapped for cash ourselves. That’s when Courtney got with her contact, Charlotte from Airmark Industries, who was able to find us the same t-shirts for a pretty big discount. We even ordered matching green ones with a pink logo for our significant others.

We love the shirts and more so the fabulous service we received from Charlotte. If you are looking for some awesome and reasonable custom team t-shirts for the Breast Cancer 3-Day, I definitely suggest you get in contact with her. She is fast, friendly and affordable. Here is her info:

Charlotte Dendy
Airmark Industries, Inc.
mail to: PO Box 3370 • Brownwood , TX 76803
ship to: 5701 E Hwy 377 • Brownwood , TX 76802
tel: 800-364-5544 x.216 • fax: 800-364-1998
charlotte@airmarkusa.com • www.airmarkusa.com