Here is my Washington, DC 2009 3-Day top ten "Things I'm Thankful For" list!
10. I'm thankful for these bright pink balloons that introduce you to the 3-day spirit at Opening Ceremonies. I definitely heeded the advice and took my time while savoring the experience.
9. I'm thankful the bright pink tent protected us from the wind and the rain. (We'll work on the cold next year!)
8. I'm thankful for friends who not only cheer me on, but stand in the rain on a Bethesda street corner to cheer on all the other walkers too! (The other side of my Meghan's sign had a more generic thank you to all walkers. And her and her husband, Gabe, cheered for you in pink!)
7. I'm so thankful for new friends (like Amy) who can, literally, pull you through! Ms. Ohio from Ms. America's Tata's really helped me get to the finish.
6. I'm thankful for all the love. For the people showing other people - almost strangers - that they care. It renews your faith in mankind.
5. I'm thankful for opening and closing ceremonies. They are incredibly inspiring and bookend all that 3-Day goodness in the perfect way.
4. I'm thankful for survivors. They give you courage and motivation and determination when you thought you had none left. (In case you didn't know, at closing we all lift one shoe to salute the survivors who did the hard work and participated in this event with us.)
~and~
3. I'm thankful for DC! These were only two shots at closing of the Lincoln and the Washington Monument - we had tons of other fantastic views. The Capital building, the Potomac River, The White House - all of it was great!
~and~
2. I'm thankful for crew! It helps you forget about your aching bones and painful blisters when you see a man in a kilt dancing on a motorcycle, or a girl with a cone on her head, or a man cheering to save second base. Yes, it really really helps!
I'm thankful I'm done! Okay, okay, I'm only kidding.
My real #1 is thanks to all of you. My supporters and donators. I couldn't have made it without you! DC raised over 5.5 million to fight breast cancer - and you were a huge part of that. (And a big shout out to my family who were invaluable in my 3-day pursuit. I love you all!)
See you next year! 2010, baby!
Check out her cute digi scrapbook packs!
FANTASTIC pics! I'm so glad that everyone seems to have had a really excellent time! I know it was magnificent for me!
ReplyDeleteMandy.. Congrats on the walk! I am geared up for Arizona in a little more than 3 weeks! This is my 6th year and I couldn't agree with you more!
ReplyDeleteBless you and keep up the good fight!
Ellen
and Thank You, Mandy for all you have gone through to accomplish this. The hard work, dedication, perseverance and your compassion for others is truly an inspiration not only for us but more importantly for your young daughters. That example will do more than you can ever imagine!
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures. You need to print them out and start a scrapbook.
I'm just getting to do my thank you notes to send my donors; I try to do it around thanksgiving, but after doing the walk 4 times, I have felt like my thank you is getting old. This top 10 list has really inspired me! I'll do a similar one using my own photos from the Boston walk. Thanks.
ReplyDeletesuzanne
boston walker 04, 05, 08, 09
crew 07
LOved these pictures! If I ever leave SF to walk somewhere else DC is up there as my #1 choice (except the rain and cold) it sounded perfect. GOOD JOB!
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you! You are really becoming an inspiration! So sorry we could not make it to the closing ceremony. The pictures are great, the blog is great, and your dedication to this worthy cause is great!
ReplyDeleteGreat, great, great! :=D
Mandy! I'm so happy to have *met* you! You truly are an inspiration and support system! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! xo
ReplyDeleteHey cool - that's me in there :) It was so fun to come out and support you and all the others (it wasn't raining that hard)! Even just cheering was an emotional and wonderful experience. Thank you for making that possible for us! Gabe & I had a great day and even got to pose as walkers (shhh) for a bit. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteMeg
I was there, but I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you. This was my second walk and I loved DC and the wonderful crew there. We couldn't have asked for a better closing ceremony. The setting, weather and company was truly amazing and an experience I'll never forget.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your pics.
Staci
Cleveland 2008
DC 2009