2025 PARTNERSHIPS

Because we know we can't strive for our mission alone, Better South Dakota has teamed up with many partners in the community to make an even bigger push for mental health awareness in the state. See a few of the partnerships below that help us make a difference in achieving our goals.

EIDE BAILLY & ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL

Since 2022, Jessica Armstrong and her team at Eide Bailly have made a substantial mark in the Sioux Falls community by awarding a scholarship to a graduating student in Roosevelt High School's business program in memory of Manny Christopher.

They have stuck true to their $2,500 scholarship award since Manny's passing, so we decided we wanted to join the cause. Starting in 2025, Better South Dakota has partnered with Eide Bailly to provide an additional $1,000 award on top of the initial amount, brining the total scholarship now to $3,500.

View current and past recipients of the award here.

DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

In honor of Manny's impact on the football field, Dakota Wesleyan University has created the "MC Game" to be played once per year at a home game in Mitchell, South Dakota.

The event consists of the recipient of the Emmanuel Christopher Memorial Scholarship wearing Manny's famous number "32" for the game, and is the only time that the jersey number is worn per year.

OUR SPONSOR ATHLETES

We're proud to have Mason McCormick, Taryn Christion, Marcus Phillips, and Tyler Schlumbohm as supporters of our organization. All of our sponsor athletes were either teammates or friends of Manny, and have continued to share his story through their respective sports.

DAKOTA NEWS NOW

Since Long Live MC's inception back in August of 2022, Sam Tastad and his team at Dakota News Now has had consistent coverage of our non-profit's growth. Sam has made it a priority to shed light on mental health in South Dakota, and can often be found shooting footage at most of our events.

JAYKE GLANZER

Jayke Glanzer is our event auctioneer, and man, is he a good one. When he isn't auctioning off livestock, Jayke manages to make time for our events and always brings a good show.

SUN GOLD SPORTS

Sun Gold Sports in Mitchell, South Dakota has been the home of our merchandise partners since the start. Thanks to Dylan Lunde and the Sun Gold Sports team for your swiftness and flexibility with all of our merchandise needs.

KELOLAND

We're proud to partner with Jordan DeSmet and the KELOLAND team. We're very grateful for their great coverage at our events!

PINNACLE PRODUCTIONS

Pinnacle Productions is our go-to when it comes to music in South Dakota! We want to give a huge thank you to Chris Hintz and DJ Sweet Lou for their amazing partnership with us.

GIBS SPORTS BAR & GATEWAY BAR & GRILL

Gateway Bar & Grill has been a staple of our foundation since the beginning in thanks to Jackson Rentschler. And with the creation of Gibs Sports Bar, Jackson has continued to show his unwavering support for us.

LEN'S AWNING & CANVAS

We owe a huge thank you to Matt Bonacker and his team at Len's Awning & Canvas for their great work on our banners and hole sponsorship signs for our charity golf tournament.

ETHAN WIESE PHOTOGRAPHY

All of the amazing videography and photography on our website and social media can be accredited to Ethan Wiese and Katy Clement. Thanks for your amazing work!

PANCHEROS MEXICAN GRILL

Last, but certainly not least, we want to thank Ben Miller and his team at Pancheros Mexican Grill for their amazing catering services. Ben has supported us at multiple events and is always supplying top-tier meals for our guests.

2025 FAMILY SPONSORS

Family sponsorships help drive our fundraising efforts at events and through giveaways that we host. We're so grateful to the following families that have made an impact on our mission with their generosity.