With sweat trickling into her eyes and feet aching and blistered, she looks ahead only to see miles left to go.

But then she glances at the sidelines, where a little girl holds her sign high: You are walking in memory of my mother.

“It’s the single most powerful, compelling group experience,” said Susan Hull, who is participating in the Susan G. Komen walk with Dottie Cornelius and Bev Madan as part of the Island Girls team.

The men and women who participate in the “3-Day for the Cure” raise millions of dollars for breast cancer research through community fundraising. Then they come together in cities across the country to walk 60 miles over three days.

The Orcas team is gearing up for its fourth year of intense walking, camaraderie, and laughter. Due to injury and illness, the team’s numbers have dwindled, but that’s not stopping their enthusiasm. For many of the women, talking about the reason for their involvement is emotional. The words they use to describe the event include inspirational, celebratory, somber, and rewarding.

“If you aren’t there to experience it, it’s hard to bridge the seriousness of it with the fun of it,” Hull said. “You carry the cause in your heart even while laughing and having fun.”

Thousands of walkers, clad in all manner of pink attire, will trek through Seattle from Sept. 24 to 26. Along the way they will encounter families holding signs, cheering supporters, honking cars, men on Harleys coordinating traffic, and pit stops with food and water. At night, they camp out in what participants call a “sea of pink tents.” Staff from Susan G. Komen prepare meals and provide shower trucks, nurses and doctors, a memory tent for people to write messages in, a post office, and vendors who supply snacks and massages. There are also fun activities like dances – one year there was even a wedding.

Every team has a “crew” who helps set up and manage the little city that pops up around the tents. For Judi Madan, who has walked in previous years but this time is part of the Orcas crew, the event is very personal.

“I had never had the opportunity to have a goal and accomplish it,” she said. “I was so out of shape. I did it for myself, but I got caught up in the spirit of the event. It’s hard to resist … You get so much back from it, I almost feel selfish doing it.”

The team carries a banner with the names of 50 Orcas residents who have had cancer – the majority of those names are survivors. They also host a dinner for the survivors prior to the big walk.

“When I first started, I just wanted to see if I could do 60 miles,” said Cornelius, who embarked on her first 3-Day journey in 2006 as a solo walker. “But as you get involved, you meet so many people who have been affected by cancer. It’s inspiring.”

Walkers undergo a training program prior to the event, which includes a daily exercise regimen. Most participants experience extreme foot pain, such as blisters, broken toes, and cracked toe nails.

“It’s amazing what you discover doing the 3-Day,” Judi said. “I hardly knew what a podiatrist was until I started this. Now I have one.”

With only around 80 days to go, the team says it is a little behind on fundraising. Each participant is required to bring in $2300; typically, the entire team raises $25,000.

The Island Girls’ signature flock of pink flamingoes have made their way to Deer Harbor and Eastsound. If one lands on your front lawn, the only way to get rid of it is with a donation.

The team will also be holding bake sales this summer, but they say the best way to donate is to visit www.the3day.org and look up “The Island Girls.”