Central Michigan University graduates Gavin McDonald, Nick Poli and Kevin O’Brien are lifelong friends from Alpena.
All three have full-time jobs in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, but in their spare time they team up to lead a growing nonprofit called The Sunset Project.
The organization is committed to investing in the improvement of Northeast Michigan through creativity and mental health-based programming.
Honoring a friend
The nonprofit was born out of a tragedy that occurred the weekend the three were moving in as freshmen in the fall of 2016.
While on an orientation campus tour, they received news that their best friend (former Alpena High School classmate Sawyer Boyd) had committed suicide.
“That was a moment I’ll never forget,” O’Brien said.
In her grief, Poli said McDonald planted the seed for what would become The Sunset Project.
“Shortly after Sawyer passed away, Gavin came into our dorm room and said, ‘There must be something we can do to turn this into something positive,'” Poli said.
Since none of them wanted anyone else to experience the pain they suffered, they began planning a way to help young people in need.
O’Brien and McDonald decided to major in psychology.
“Sawyer’s death was a big part of why I went into the mental health field,” said O’Brien, an outpatient adolescent and family therapist.
Not long after, they came up with the idea for a nonprofit, and after several years of brainstorming operational details, their graduation from CMU and the COVID pandemic gave them the time they needed to put their idea into action.
A mission for mental health
The three launched The Sunset Project in 2021. Since then, the organization has developed three core programs to help people.
Focus45 is a community investment program focused on improving Northeast Michigan through the development, implementation and support of creative-based projects.
The Northeast Michigan Wellness Initiative (NEMWI) is a mental health focused program that raises awareness, eliminates stigma and educates about mental health through in-school programs and participation in various community events.
The Sawyer J. Boyd Creative Grant provides an opportunity to develop creativity for young people between the ages of 16 and 23. The grant provides individuals with the opportunity to purchase goods and services to expand their creative passions, hobbies or careers.
“The first year the grants were $1,000 and we awarded them to three people,” McDonald said. “Last year the grants increased to $2,000 and we awarded them to four people. So far this year we’ve awarded three more people $2,000 grants. Our goal is to increase the number of people we award grants to (each year) and increase the amount.”
McDonald said one of the supporters was a local photographer who took pictures on his cell phone because he didn’t have the funds to buy an expensive camera.
“We bought her an array of professional photography equipment and high-end digital cameras and lenses,” McDonald said. “She now runs her own growing and very successful photography business in Northeast Michigan.”
Currently, McDonald, Poly and O’Brien are busy promoting mental health programming at local high schools in preparation for Mental Health Awareness Month.
“We’ve partnered with the National Mental Health Alliance in Grand Traverse to promote ‘Ending the Silence,’ a nationally recognized, evidence-based program,” McDonald said.
Fostering change through CMU roots
The Sunset Project awarded approximately $20,000 in grant funding over three years to help implement mental health awareness initiatives and programs throughout the Northeast Michigan region.
McDonald, Poli and O’Brien believe the project would not have existed without their time spent together at CMU.
“CMU gave us all a fantastic education to lay the foundation for the Sunset Project,” McDonald said. “CMU also created a positive environment for us to be curious and explore. That was the bond that bound us all together throughout this process and to this day.”
Out of tragedy, three friends created something that changed their lives and paved a new path.
“At CMU, we are committed to helping students learn to lead their lives,” said CMU President Bob Davis.
“And that’s exactly what Gavin McDonald, Nick Poli and Kevin O’Brien have done – their passion and leadership have created something that will positively impact the lives of young people in the community they call home.”
