Alisen D., Julie J. and Karen N. have been friends for more than 15 years — a bond that began after meeting at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® and grew so strong that last year in Denver, they commemorated it with matching tattoos.
What started as a shared desire to support those impacted by breast cancer has become a sisterhood that extends far beyond event weekends throughout the year and into their everyday lives.
A Friendship Built in the Pink Bubble
Over the years, Alisen, Julie and Karen have walked, crewed and supported one another not only through the 3-Day weekends, but also through life’s hardest moments. They’ve stayed connected in a daily group chat that’s been active for more than six years, across different time zones. They’ve met up outside the 3-Day in different states and built a bond that feels more like family than friendship.
“I broke my ankle in November, and then I got very sick and ended up in the intensive care unit, but they have been such a huge support,” Karen, who joined the Arizona 3-Day in 2011, said. “The Pink Bubble has become such a big part of my life that I can’t imagine not having them.”
A Tattoo Years in the Making
For years, the women talked about getting matching tattoos to symbolize their friendship, and at the 2025 Denver 3-Day they finally made it happen. On Thursday before the event weekend began, they visited a local tattoo artist and each got the same design on their legs but personalized to represent their own styles. Before heading to the tattoo shop, they used sugar packets to write down numbers and decide who would go first — a moment that perfectly captures their easy-going personalities.
“I came up with the idea of using our birth flowers. Karen and I have the daffodil, and Julie has the lily of the valley,” said Alisen, who began the 3-Day more than two decades ago in honor of her mother who died from breast cancer. “Some of the flowers are colored in pink, and we each adapted the design to our own style. Karen added a tutu to hers because she always wears one at the 3-Day.”
Above each flower, they added a shared tagline, split into three parts so each woman carries one piece:
“No matter when, no matter what, no matter where.”
“It’s a testament to what the 3-Day does,” Julie, who has been part of the 3-Day since 2005, said. “You meet people, you connect and you become great friends. You know that no matter when, what or where, those people are there for you.”
For these three friends, the tattoo isn’t just artwork. It’s a reminder of the miles they’ve walked, the money they’ve raised, the memories they’ve made and the community that brought them into each other’s lives.
This year the women look forward to seeing each other at the San Diego and Tampa Bay 3-Days.
To learn more about the 3-Day, visit the the3day.org.
