It is often said that “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Cole Fisher BFA ‘20 has never been a fan of that phrase. That is, until Elise Bur, Director of Northern Michigan University’s Center for Rural Health (NMUCRH) put him in contact with the District 10 Lions, representing more than 1,400 members from 55 Lions Clubs throughout Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Fisher, who graduated with a degree in graphic design, recently completed a landing page for a childhood cancer fundraiser called I Trekked the U.P.

Working alongside Christine (Chris) Smith, Engadine Naubinway Lions Club member and District 10 Lions Childhood Cancer Chairman, Fisher created a page that provides resources, shares stories of U.P. families battling cancer and supports the receipt of online donations.  

“The saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ to me has always meant...you study all this knowledge, you get all this personal experience and then it doesn’t matter at all,” Fisher said. “But now I’ve seen it happen and my opinion of the phrase has changed.”

The way Fisher became involved in this project is an example of the community partnership, outreach and connection that the NMUCRH is striving to build. The idea of six degrees of separation is that humans are on average six or fewer social connections away from one another. So, it makes sense that the establishment of the NMUCRH led to a partnership with the District 10 Lions, that then led a recent NMU graduate to his first post graduation project, which promotes a cause that reverberates hope throughout the entire Upper Peninsula (U.P.). 

When Bur signed on as Director of the NMUCRH in July of 2020, one of her first orders of business was learning more about the Defense Against Diabetes (D.A.D.) initiative supported by The Lions Club of Michigan. Gary Perala, Negaunee Lions Club member and District 10 Lions D.A.D. project Chairman, invited her to attend a District 10 Lions meeting where she met District Governor Joe Maki and Chris Smith. 

“One of the best ways to truly understand challenges and solutions impacting healthcare in our rural area is to listen,” Bur said. “The communities throughout our region have voices that tell stories. Stories of challenges as well as successes. Connecting individuals in need with those who can contribute to solutions strengthens our rural network and improves lives.”  

At one point, the topic of social media and expanding digital reach came up. Perala and Smith pondered if there was a way a Northern Michigan University (NMU) student may be able to contribute to current efforts. Bur jumped into action, getting the word out to faculty members in the NMU Art and Design department. 

Enter Cole Fisher BFA ‘20. 

Originally from the Chicagoland area, Fisher transferred to NMU in fall of 2018, won over by the scenery of Marquette and his tour with Art and Design Professor Keith Ellis. Upon his arrival to NMU, Fisher began cultivating not only his graphic design skills, but web design and development as well. 

The NMU Art and Design faculty are well-versed in sending opportunities on to students. Upon receiving Bur’s inquiry about graphic design and web assistance, professors forwarded the email to students they believed would be interested. At this time, graduation was a month away and among the pandemonium, the email became buried in Fisher’s inbox. In October, nearly a month after that initial correspondence, he followed back up with Bur and asked if he could still help. 

“Elise was very instrumental in setting me up and she was really good about promoting, even if I didn’t get the job, that it was just a good way to network and talk to people, especially in the local community,” Fisher said. “You can shoot online applications to anyone located anywhere,, but it’s kind of critical to also make your mark in the local, in-person communities. I enjoyed that idea.”

Enter the District 10 Lions.

After being introduced to Maki and Perala, Fisher began to learn more about the Lions. Although people may be aware of their local Lions Clubs’ events, they may not fully understand the scope of support they strive to provide. The mission of the organization is to service people in need within their communities. To begin, Fisher served as a resource looking towards potential projects, as there was not an opportunity available for him just yet. It wasn’t until Bur reached out to check on how the project was going that an opportunity emerged.

Enter Chris Smith of Engadine, Mich., Childhood Cancer Chairman for the District 10 Lions.

Lions Clubs International and Lions Clubs International Foundation named Childhood Cancer as one of their main initiatives, in addition to Diabetes, Vision, Hearing, Environmental, and Hunger. 

The District 10 Childhood Cancer initiative started by assisting one child in 2019 and has since grown to serve 19 children and their families. Lions Clubs nationwide have different strategies supporting this initiative. In some states, grant funding is used to buy pieces of equipment for hospitals. What Smith found is that a lot of U.P. families have to travel major distances for certain types of specialty healthcare services. Long distance travel comes at a cost, and when a parent has to take time off or take leave from employment, the overall expense can add up quickly. Helping community families ease the financial burden is where Smith saw the most need. 

The Lions assists families where it is most needed, whether that be covering travel expenses, supplying funds for food, helping with medical bills, supplementing lost wages or providing connection to additional resources. Examples include Heroes Circle Kids Kicking Cancer, a karate class for empowerment, meditation and pain control; Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, a source for providing wigs to children going through chemotherapy; and Camp Quality, a camp for kids with cancer tentatively scheduled to take place at Bay Cliff in September 202. Support is given to children currently undergoing treatment, but also those in remission as well as bereaved families who have lost a child.

These endeavors are made possible by generous funding received from the Graymont Community Development Fund and fundraisers organized by the District 10 Lions. In March of 2020, over $8000 was raised by a Marquette Lions Club can-drive, marking the largest amount of money brought in for families and children battling cancer. As the number of families in need of assistance grows, so does the need to establish additional partnerships and fundraising efforts. 

Smith brought up an idea for the I Trekked the U.P.  fundraiser. In search of a unique way to promote the fundraiser, Perala thought it best to introduce Smith to Fisher. 

"Right away, I could see having a business relationship with Cole for a long time. He’s very professional,” Smith said. “I sent him so much informational stuff I thought I blew up his computer. He read it all; you could tell he’s really interested.” 

Fisher designed and developed an interactive, engaging landing page for the fundraiser. The point of this page is to relay information to people quickly and in a way that gets them to connect with the cause. The page not only offers information and resources on the fundraiser, but tells stories of childhood cancer heroes and gives more information on overall childhood cancer resources. The page includes partnership links to Heroes Circle Kids Kicking Cancer, Camp Quality, Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, and Northwoods Airlifeline. 

“The way I see it...this initiative is going to be an ongoing fundraiser. It’s never going to stop because families are always going to need help and it’s just the nature of the beast.” Smith said. “Our platform here in the Upper Peninsula is that we’re going to put feet on the ground, find the families in our communities, and help them.” 

At the beginning of the project, Fisher started researching the topic he’d be working on, something he does for all his design work. On top of this being a normal occurrence for Fisher’s process, Smith’s passion for childhood cancer made him want to enhance his own knowledge and connect emotionally to the project. This opened his eyes to the severity of the situation, especially in rural areas like the U.P.

“If you live in a rural area, your hospital may be  two hours away, so the ambulance can’t come quickly,” Fisher said. “Being from the Chicago area, you can walk down the block and get to an Urgent Care. It didn’t even occur to me that people don’t have that kind of access.”

In his research, he also noted that most childhood cancer resources on the internet were very “doom and gloom.” He observed that, if a family with a child who had been diagnosed with cancer sat down to Google the prognosis, they would not feel very hopeful by some of the resources online. Fisher took this into consideration when creating the landing page. He hopes this idea comes through in the way the site has been  designed; that it inspires hope in families and helps give them more of a positive outlook for their child’s potential treatment. 

Smith plans for the landing page Fisher has created to be an ongoing valuable resource for the District 10 Lions, with rotating initiatives and fundraisers being featured. Smith said Fisher exceeded her expectations in both what the project looks like and how accessible it is. The importance of partnership is something she has always held in high regard.

"Don't you think that more heads are better than one?” Smith said. “Partnership is so important because you each can see a piece of what needs to be done, and you take those expertise and put it together.”

Fisher said this will be a project he will always remember for more than one reason: it was the first project he completed after graduation, and also one that opened his eyes to the heart of an important cause. 

So, how has Fisher’s opinion changed when it comes to the phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” ?

“Had I not had such a great connection with my professor, who had not had such a great connection with the Northern community as a whole, who didn’t have such a great connection with the Marquette community...none of this would have happened,” Fisher said. “In my mind before (the saying) was a popularity thing, and now I can see it’s more [about] developing connections with people so that everyone can benefit. It’s about partnerships. “

The District 10 Lions I Trekked the U.P. Childhood Cancer fundraiser can be located at https://uplionsserve.org and will run through the end of March 2021. Anyone can register and select their donation amount. Each donor of $25.00 or more receives a Childhood Cancer mask and bandana. Donors can also download a “Trek and Track” sheet that allows them to log activities, times, or distances as well as donations. Afterwards, participants are encouraged to share photos of their activities and post on Facebook. 

Those looking to donate by mail can send to the PO Box listed below.

District 10 Lions

Childhood Cancer

PO BOX 107

Engadine, Michigan 49827

Individuals are encouraged to reach out with questions or information on a family dealing with childhood cancer by calling 313-682-8900.