2025- Dennis Byrd –Physical Health Impact
In 2025, Better Together Foundation extended support to Dennis Byrd of Canton, Ohio, a hardworking man who spent his career in the oilfield and recently worked for AutoSep Technologies, a subsidiary of one of our corporate donor Deep Well Services. Earlier this year, Dennis experienced a life-threatening medical emergency that left him in a coma for several weeks. After a remarkable recovery, Dennis returned home but was unable to work for several months, creating significant financial strain.
Through the generosity of our donors, we partnered with Dennis’s sister, Lea, to identify the best way to help. Better Together Foundation was able to make direct payments toward Dennis’s mortgage, easing the burden during this challenging time. This act of support reflects our commitment to the Better Physical Health pillar, ensuring individuals and families can focus on healing rather than financial hardship.
2025- Canon-Mac High School Football Partnership
Better Together Foundation was proud to partner with Canon-Mac High School, located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Canonsburg, to support student-athletes for the 2025 football season. Through a recommendation from our board, we collaborated with Canon-Mac coaches to identify seven athletes from low-income families and provided them with new football cleats to ensure they are equipped for success on the field.
This initiative reflects our commitment to the Better Physical Health pillar, which includes supporting extracurricular activities that foster teamwork, discipline, and confidence in students. We are grateful to the Canon-Mac School District for their partnership and look forward to continuing efforts that remove barriers for youth participation in athletics.
2025- Max Stamey-Physical Health Impact
Following the viral response to Dennis Byrd’s story on social media, Better Together Foundation was introduced to Max Stamey, a young man diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer affecting his pelvis. Max faces an intensive treatment plan, including chemotherapy and surgery to replace his hip, and is expected to be out of work for 18–36 months.
At the time we learned of Max’s situation, he and his fiancée, Jada, were expecting their first child. Since then, they have welcomed a beautiful baby boy. Through collaboration with Max’s stepmother, Ashley, Better Together Foundation was honored to assist by making direct rent payments, allowing the family to focus on medical care and their newborn. Max’s family has been his support system through all of this, with his dad and brother shaving their heads in support. This project exemplifies our commitment to Better Physical Health, providing relief during life-altering health challenges and ensuring families can prioritize healing over financial strain.
2025- Bradford Youth Basketball League Sponsorship
At Better Together Foundation, we strive to promote physical health and the development of youth. We believe that sports and competition provide life lessons and build critical skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience.
In 2025, we were proud to serve as a Division and Team Sponsor for the Bradford Youth Basketball League (BYBL). This partnership reflects our commitment to creating opportunities for young athletes to thrive, regardless of financial barriers, while fostering healthy lifestyles and community engagement. Be Better, Together. Go Bulls!
2024- Brandon Veite of Bradford, PA
In early 2024 we heard the story of 25-year-old Brandon Veite of Bradford, PA and were immediately drawn to it. Brandon was in the midst of a nearly 3-year battle with cancer when we first heard his story. Brandon was fighting a rare form of leukemia and was an inspiration to all those around him with his positive attitude and continuous fighting spirit. We reached out to Brandon’s family in early June while he was hospitalized at UPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh to see how we could help. Even though the doctors were not optimistic, Brandon continued to fight and never give up. After his release home in early July, we were in the early stages of the process of helping construct a wheelchair ramp at Brandon’s home in Bradford so he could enjoy a better quality of life in his remaining time. Sadly, he passed away July 5th, 2024. We are honored to be able to still aid Brandon’s family after his passing and were able to cover nearly 25% of his funeral expenses. The financial strain on Brandon’s family has been extensive, but the community of Bradford and beyond has rallied to support them over the past 3 years and we are honored to be able to help in a small way. Brandon leaves behind two young daughters. The family is still very much in need of assistance, if you would like to support his family directly you can visit their Go Fund me page or you can donate through the Better Together website using the one-time donation tab and check the “in memory” box and select Brandon Veite as the name and we will route your donations to support his family. https://www.gofundme.com/f/brandons-fight-with-leukemia?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3kg_zIOBE2kMaPvVb2axAF2X8-1GFfhk-sQKVwpe_AKbYbPogI3MVT8jQ_aem_erpAAhhUhdvcFRyR6u4-Fw
