As the 2009 season of the Breast Cancer 3-Day ramps up and gets ready to kick off, Event 360 would like to recognize a very important milestone that took place during the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day in Chicago. For the first time, a team of eight people with disabilities, seven of whom were in wheelchairs and one that used a walker, formed a team to participate in a Breast Cancer 3-Day event. They named themselves the All Abilities Team.
The All Abilities Team faced many obstacles while preparing for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Not only do participants cover 20 miles a day for three days on a course that is not always smooth, but there were also issues with pit stops in grassy areas, inaccessible water stations and overnight tent accomodations. Working with the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), a department in AHS's Department of Disability and Human Development, Event 360 prepared a comprehensive plan to make this course accessible for this team. "The Breast Cancer 3-Day organizers were great," said Amy Rauworth, coordinator of the All Abilities Team. "They implemented pretty much every recommendation we made. They installed plastic flooring so water stations and pit stops were accessible. They brought accessible sleeping tents for each [All Abilities Team] participant. They really wanted everything to be right." In addition to these logistical considerations, Event 360 also made sure that all staff members, crew and volunteers working the event were prepared to attend to all participants' needs. Every person manning this event went through a disability training and awareness presentation prior to the Chicago Breast Cancer 3-Day.
All of the preparation paid off by the end of the event. Four of the members of the All Abilities Team were able to complete the entire three day course, traveling a total of 60 miles! Other Breast Cancer 3-Day participants showed their support for the All Abilities Team throughout the event by wearing buttons and cheering for them on the course. "In the end, I felt proud. I felt I was part of the whole event, and I felt accepted," says Pam Dickens, team co-captain. "The most memorable part of the event was the team experience, including the many staff and crew that were very supportive." Event 360 is proud to have been a part of such a wonderful experience for the All Abilities Team.