In 2015, former Nintendo President Satoru Iwata suddenly passed away at the young age of 55. He had been dealing with Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, and ultimately his death sent shockwaves through the gaming community. At least one group of people decided to take that moment and make something positive from it. Chris Haslage co-founded the charity 1UpOnCancer to help adults in their ongoing medical battles, and at PAX South, we got to chat with him about the group and their mission.
1UpOnCancer is a non-profit organization that very specifically aims to aid adults over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with cancer and are facing financial hardship by helping pay their medical bills. The goal of the charity came out of response to Satoru Iwata’s untimely death, but also a friend of Chris’s who had been diagnosed.
“It was heartbreaking to see Iwata pass so early,” Haslage explained. “We kind of saw him step away from the Nintendo spotlight and we could feel something was up, but the death still shocked us. On the same day my wife and I heard he died, our friend Bruce Lewis had also been diagnosed with brain cancer. Bruce worked with Funimation, but he was still on 1099s as a freelance worker. We were looking for ways to help Bruce with his bills and found very little out there for adults. Bruce wasn’t making a lot of money and it was an extremely difficult situation for him.”
Out of this personal situation, Chris, his wife, and other volunteers chose to form their own charity as means to help Bruce and others like him. Thus, 1UpOnCancer started to form.
“My wife, my mother-in-law, and I decided soon after that we were going to form this charity,” Chris continued. “We started looking around and looking for the resources we needed to make this work. I put a lot of my own money into the paperwork, lawyer fees, and other requirements to make this happen, but we’re all here because of our passion for the goal. None of us make money doing this. It’s just the right thing to do, and here we are over three years later, still spending a lot of our nights and weekends making sure the people that need our help can find us.”
Haslage’s efforts to build this charity weren’t out of spite of any charity, but more out of the fact that very little, if anything, like 1UpOnCancer exists. Chris is fully aware of and respects the other organizations doing something similar to what he does and even mentioned working with them to make sure that people find the right help.
“You look around at the various organizations that exist and most of them are focused solely on children,” Chris explained. “I have nothing against St. Jude’s or Extra Life and actually we work closely with a lot of those organizations, but adults get cancer too and there’s really not much out there for them. There is this stigma, especially in the United States, that as an adult you should be self-sufficient, but against a massive threat like cancer, that simply isn’t always true. A lot of people are in fights for their lives and we work to make sure that those that need the help aren’t forgotten just because they’re over a certain age.”
One of the unique aspects of 1UpOnCancer’s cooperation with other charities comes from the fact that they feel the need to be prepared for the future. Haslage pointed out that the nature of cancer means that just because someone falls out their criteria and needs to be directed elsewhere doesn’t mean they won’t have a duty to that same person in the future.
“The reality of the situation is that everyone turns 18 one day, and relapse is a concern,” Haslage pointed out. “The last I checked, about 50% of children who are treated for cancer eventually see a resurgence of that cancer in adulthood. It’s a very likely scenario that they may need our help later on. I’ve been in contact with people whose children have been diagnosed and I will direct them to St. Jude, Extra Life, or wherever they should be to get help. I can only hope that in return, those organizations will do the same when a person falls outside of their requirements for care so we can help them.”
To that end, 1UpOnCancer has created events and worked various gaming conventions in order to spread the word about the organization and its goals. In 2018, this culminated in assistance of over $33,000 paid out in medical assistance to adults with cancer. In 2019, Chris wants to double that, and they’re off on their way in the start of the year. At PAX South, the group was able to raise $3,100 in donations, which is the most the group has ever raised in attending a single convention.
“In 2017, we did around $15,000 in assistance. 2018 was $33,000,” Chris explained. “I know we’re a small charity, and it’s an ambitious goal to do $60,000, but we’re striving to double up again nonetheless. Even so, I would be happy to get $45,000 or so. I think that’s a respectable goal as well.”
1UpOnCancer attends quite a number of conventions a year in order to achieve that goal and spread the word. Their roadmap includes well known events like TwitchCon, PAX, and Dreamhack, as well as lesser known events like Gamer Nation Con and Classic Game Fest. At these events, Chris and his team work to invite donations and take sign-ups of volunteers and Twitch streamers who will help spread the word on 1UpOnCancer. Just as well, Haslage and those involved in 1UpOnCancer have actually ended up bumping into those that need help at events as well.
“We’ve met people on the convention floors whose family members were diagnosed,” Haslage claimed. “We’re happy to extend the olive branch on the spot, invite them to learn more about what we’re doing, and figure out if we can help.”
In addition to that, 1UpOnCancer hosts four major charity streaming Twitch events a year in which streamers and volunteers play games and help drive donations - Spring Spectacular, Sizzling Summer, Platform Against Cancer, and Winter Wishes. Each is a 72-hour event featuring various gamers and streamers who want to play games and help out. Players can also host their own streams for 1UpOnCancer outside those events through Tiltify.
“We once had a single event in 2018 raise $7,000 on its own for the organization without our direct involvement,” Haslage enthusiastically explained. “It was an awesome shock to find that in our email one day, and people are doing these types of events regularly. I can’t say they’re always bringing in that much, but we’re happy with whatever comes out of it. Every bit is more than what we had before, and for people to believe in this mission we’re going for is wonderful.”
To make sure everything is carried out properly, Haslage also takes a hands-on and personal approach in making sure that the money raised goes to the right places as well. From the point of filling out the Preliminary Donee Application (accessible via the Get Help section of the site) to the end of the verification process, Chris also ensures that the money goes directly to medical bills once everything is settled.
“We try really hard never to turn anyone who comes to us away because we believe everyone deserves a chance at help,” Chris explained. “That said, our dispersement goes directly towards those bills. We ask for access to the medical bills that have yet to be paid and we make the calls directly to the hospitals or medical centers to pay those bills. It’s one of the things I make sure to handle directly to make sure 1UpOnCancer isn’t being used for something outside what it’s supposed be.”
another #PaxSouth2019 comes to an end. Our incredible volunteers did an amazing job. We shattered our previous record for donations at a convention.
— 1UpOnCancer (@1UpOnCancer) January 21, 2019
Thank you everyone that came by donated or talked to our volunteers. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next event. pic.twitter.com/Sb9Z2Xx73F
Even with all precautions, Chris Haslage and those helping out feel something truly special out of making that final call and sending the money through.
“It’s a good feeling,” Chris continued. “When everything is in its proper place and we make that final call and see the money go through to where it needs to go, we know we’ve helped ease someone’s burden. It’s what we wanted this to be and I hope people continue to help and this continues to grow. I feel confident with the support we’ve been given. If we can continue to spread the word, I truly believe we can continue to give those fighting their fight just one less financial burden to deal with.”
As Chris and 1UpOnCancer work their way towards their goals for 2019, you can support them by checking out the 1UpOnCancer website for more information, ways to help, or to apply for assistance. You can also find the organization on Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch, or make a direct donation through PayPal.
