Here I go walking again! Please support me as I take on an incredible challenge. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® isn’t just a 60-mile walk over the course of three days—it’s a journey to the end of breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of the net proceeds raised by the 3-Day® help support Komen’s Research and Training Grant Program and large public health outreach programs for women and men facing breast cancer. The remaining 25 percent helps fund local community and Affiliate support and outreach programs.

 I am planning on walking two of the four Komen walks in 2025 and I’m hoping my donors will once again support me in this endeavor.

An Offer for Donors: Once more I am offering a Thank You gift to my donors. I crochet "critters" and "FLOOZIES" which I have started selling in local fundraisers and craft fairs as well as through my webpage. Since I am walking 60 miles, anyone who sponsors me with a donation of $60 or more (that's $1.00 for each mile I walk) may choose one of my crochet critters or other crochet items as a gift. The critters are generally between 12 and 18 inches tall and you can choose from ones I have already made up or can request a specific animal and color scheme that I will then make. All parts of these animals are either crocheted or embroidered; there are no hard pieces so they are good gifts for young children. Pictures of ones I have made and ones that are available are on my website, www.crochet4thecure.com. Also, some of the larger critters and  the FLOOZIES (Colorful women who think for themselves, dress any way they want and don't give a hoot about what others think of them. They define themselves and don't accept other's definitions of them.) can be adopted for a  $100 donation. FLOOZIES can be made in any colors you like as well as team colors if requested. Just contact me by e-mail: donate@crochet4thecure.com (or at shirleyernst@gmail.com) to put in your request for a critter or a FLOOZY.  Donations are, at this point, still tax deductible. I hope you will support my walk by donating, sharing my message with your friends and relatives and ask them to support me as well, and in doing so you will be supporting the fight against breast cancer. donate at http://www.the3day.org/goto/shirleyernst.

My walking history, or how I got started: In November 2009, as a 13-year breast cancer survivor, I walked the 3-day for the first time with my niece. The San Diego walk was a wonderful experience even though I managed to get several blisters. A cool 9.5 million dollars was raised here toward research and breast related care. I'm proud to say that $3600 of that came from my supporters. Less than two weeks after the walk was over I decided that it was important for me to be involved beyond this first year, so I registered to walk in Boston in July 2010 and San Diego again in November 2010. I did those two walks, with lots of rain in San Diego, and because Breast cancer doesn't stop, I'm not stopping either. That is why I signed up once again for two walks in 2011. The first was in Tampa Bay Halloween weekend and the second was in Arizona two weeks later. One of the highlights of the Tampa Bay walk was being in the survivor's circle. While I was disappointed that due to a schedule conflict I couldn’t walk with my team, The Pink Angels, in Boston, some of them also walked in Tampa.

In 2014, the cities in which to walk were reduced to seven and the Boston walk was eliminated, so I again registered to walk with the Kindred Spirits in Seattle as well as in San Diego. Because of the support of my wonderful sponsors, I walked in both places. Once these walks were successfully over, I started working on fundraising for 2015. I registered for Seattle again both because I really enjoyed that walk, and the team, and because it allows me to visit friends in the northwest, and I also registered for Atlanta as several teammates were walking there. Once more my donors amazed me and I had both walks funded. I walked two 2015 walks, Seattle in September and Atlanta in October. In 2016, I successfully raised the money for two walks and so I walked in both Seattle and San Diego (and without blisters too!)

2017 found me walking in Seattle and San Diego, in 2018 in Seattle and Dallas, and in 2019 in Boston and Seattle.  Of course, in 2020 all normal activities were stopped and thus all Komen walks were canceled.  The walks were resumed in 2021, first with a virtual walk called “3-day Nation” and then with the San Diego walk.  In 2022 I challenged myself to get enough donations to walk all four walks, New England, Chicago, Dallas, and San Diego.  I succeeded in meeting that challenge, thanks to all my donors.  When Komen added Denver to the mix in 2023, I once again decided to participate in all 5 walks and my donors said…do it and funded them for me. In 2024 I participated in three of the four walks, New England, Dallas, and San Diego With the 2024 walks, I have walked in 35 Komen walks since 2009.  I think that is quite a feat at my age 82, nearly 83.  I think I have been the oldest walker in several of these walks.