News Photo by Darby Hinkley Friends Together Founder Judy Burns, left, and current Friends Together Executive Director Melissa Burns, who is Judy’s daughter, hold a memorial plaque featuring a photo of Dawn Burns, Judy’s daughter and Melissa’s sister, who died from cancer at age 26. Judy Burns founded Friends Together 28 years ago in honor of Dawn, so that no one would have to go through cancer alone.

ALPENA — Friends Together has 35 days to raise $35,000, to be matched by a generous anonymous donor. If the community can band together to donate the match of $35,000, it will be doubled at the end of this Double Your Impact campaign.

If you were thinking of donating to Friends Together, now is the best time, as a $50 donation will turn into a $100 donation, thanks to the tremendous generosity of the anonymous donor.

Friends Together Executive Director Melissa Burns is floored by the generous match offer, and so grateful for the support.

“We’re so excited about this, we’re going crazy,” Melissa Burns said. “We’re like, ‘We’re not even going to sleep!’ We’re super pumped.”

She added, “Our theme is ‘Help Us Unlock the Match.’ Thirty-five days to raise $35K.”

The 35 days starts today, April 3.

“My first feeling was, ‘Oh my gosh, I cannot let this person down,'” Melissa Burns said of the anonymous donor. “We can’t waste this opportunity to help people in our community … We have to get to work now. We’re ready.”

Friends Together is a nonprofit organization in Northeast Michigan dedicated to providing services to people with cancer in the six-county area they serve. Located at 105 Prentiss St., Alpena, Friends Together serves the counties of Alpena, Alcona, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Iosco.

“We really want to try to get the word out in our outlying areas to let them know that ‘We’re in your neighborhood, too,'” Melissa Burns said. “It’s not just Alpena. It is a big coverage area. We’re starting up a cancer support group in Hillman. We’re starting one in Mio. We’re also going to make sure we open up a support group in Alcona County.”

Because the cancer support organization does not receive government funding, it relies solely on fundraising to meet its needs throughout the year. And those needs are great, ranging from transportation and lodging costs for patients, gas cards to help those who need to travel out of town, or even out of state, for treatment and more. Friends Together provides a wide range of support groups for those affected by cancer, and provides entertaining fundraising events throughout the year, as well.

“We have a whole group of trained volunteer drivers that drive people all over,” Melissa Burns said. “They drive anywhere in Michigan that people need to go. They’re on the road every single day.”

Friends Together has two vans to transport patients to their appointments.

“We have a lot of operating expenses,” Melissa Burns said.

In 2023, those vans drove more than 62,000 miles.

“We helped with more than 250 nights at hotels, we supplied more than $70,000 in gas cards, and we held 320 support group sessions throughout our six counties,” Melissa Burns said. “We helped hundreds of cancer patients and their loved ones.”

Friends Together Founder Judy Burns started the cancer support center in 1996 after her daughter Dawn was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 23. After battling cancer for three years, Dawn passed away at age 26. Judy Burns founded Friends Together 28 years ago, in honor of Dawn, so that no one would have to go through cancer alone.

Now, Judy’s daughter Melissa Burns leads Friends Together, continuing the family legacy of offering patients and caregivers support when they need it most.

“This whole organization did start as a promise to my sister, from Mom,” Melissa Burns said.

She said the promise campaign will be held in April going forward, so this match offer comes at a perfect time. “This whole month is going to be about the promise, and about my sister. And April is the month of her birthday. It’s all about her. Her birthday is April 23rd … I’m going to do a little call to action for the Class of ’87 for that day.”

Dawn Burns graduated from Alpena High School in 1987.

“We’ll be reaching out to them, for donations, because I know they remember her,” Melissa Burns said.

Dawn was just 23 when she was diagnosed, and Melissa was a teenager at that time.

“She passed away when she was 26,” Melissa Burns said of her sister. “And, my mom made a promise to her that nobody would have to go through cancer alone, the way that we did.”

She said her sister is “the face of Friends Together.”

“We don’t want people to forget,” Melissa Burns said.

Friends Together started with a cancer support group, once a month, at the Alpena County Library.

“And here we are, all those years later, with support in six counties,” Melissa Burns said. “And still growing.”

All donors are appreciated, she added, noting that even a small donation can be doubled during this campaign and every dollar counts.

“Unlock the match,” she said. “We want everybody to help us get there.”

Friends Together staff members, in addition to Melissa Burns, are Shelly Gibbs, Michelle Hoes, and Julie Gilmet. They also have five paid support group facilitators.

“We want to get the match so we can continue to do this work,” Melissa Burns said.

Friends Together is offering several ways for individuals, businesses, and organizations to donate. You can text FRIENDSTOGETHER to 26989, go online and give at friendstogethermi.org, call 989-356-3231 to make a donation over the phone, mail a check to 105 Prentiss St., Alpena MI 49707, or bring your donation to Friends Together.