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Philly Out As Komen Targets 7 Markets
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Susan G. Komen for the Cure will sponsor its final 3-Day for the Cure in Philadelphia this month as its shifts strategies and events and expands to other markets around the country. Participants in the 3-Day commit to raise $2,300. This year’s Philadelphia 3-Day will take place Oct. 18-20, ending the 16-year-old event in that city.

The Philadelphia event started in 2003 and was among seven of the 60-mile walks that survived cuts five years ago. In 2014, Komen for the Cure cut back the number of 3-Day events from 13 to seven, eliminating events in Arizona, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Washington, D.C. Races continued in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Michigan, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul. At the time, Komen’s national office cited declining participation and “economic uncertainty” over the previous four years as the reason for reducing the number of walks.

Komen has tested a number of strategies, including a 20-mile experience and piloting a “hotel camp experience.”

This year, the race has returned to previous 3-Day markets, with a new event in September in Boston, which was cut in 2014, while others, such as Atlanta, were discontinued. “We have also frequently heard a desire to return to previous 3-Day markets. To do so, however, required a thoughtful examination of our existing markets. Based on an analysis of cost and participation, we made the difficult decision to exit Atlanta,” according to Komen. Komen Atlanta held a More Than Pink Walk in May.

Analysis by Komen found that Atlanta experienced higher declines in both participation and fundraising. “The 3-Day needs to be refreshed and updated, and we need to bring renewed energy to the events and to event cities where research shows we can have the broadest impact,” according to Komen.

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day was or will be held in seven markets this year: Boston (September), Dallas-Fort Worth (November), Michigan (August), Philadelphia (September), San Diego (November), Seattle (September), and Minneapolis-St. Paul (August).

Komen also considered returning to Tampa but Boston had the most potential to attract the most people, according to Komen. “As former 3-Day city, there is a strong existing community there that supports the fight against breast cancer and endurance vents. With the AVON 39 ending, there is strong potential to recruit walks who are passionate about the cause but new to Komen.”

Komen and its affiliates reported about $143 million in total revenue for the fiscal year ending 2018, down from $146 million the previous year.