An October Celebration to Remember
On the 14th of October, 115 Brigade supporters gathered in Northern Virginia to celebrate the remarkable contributions of Dr. Byer from his founding of the VHC Medical Brigade through his decades of compassionate service to the people of Honduras. All of our amazing guests together transformed the evening into something incredibly special for the Byer family.
We had 13 event sponsors, and a $40,000 match, helping us raise $106,000! This made October 14th our largest event ever, both in attendance and donations! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous sponsors, ticket holders, and those who generously contributed towards women's health, surgeries, rural education, and clean water for the most vulnerable in Honduras.
We invite you to relive the memories and moments by browsing through the wonderful photographs accessible from the event page here. Thanks again to all of our donors and attendees who help make our work possible, and we hope to see you all for another amazing event next year!
And see below a profile of the guest of honor, Dr. Barry Byer:
Barry Byer, MD, a Fellow in the American Academy of Family Practice, recently retired after practicing family medicine for 40 years in Falls Church, VA. He was Chief of Family Practice at Virginia Hospital Center since 1980 and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical School. He received his BS from Villanova University and his MD degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine. He spent his Intern year at Marion County General Hospital, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, where he received the Intern of the Year Award. He served his country in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps at the National Heart and Lung Institute of NIH in Bethesda, MD. He was a Radiology Resident at George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, before going into private practice in Falls Church, VA.
Over 30 years ago, Dr. Byer founded CrossLink International, a non-profit humanitarian aid organization that supplied and equipped medical mission teams in Third World countries (over 300 annually) and the United States. In 2013, CrossLink merged with Brother’s Brother Foundation, the 37th largest US charity, which has a similar mission of equipping Third World medical mission teams and hospitals.
In 1999, he founded and for over 2 decades served as president of the board of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade, a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that continues to provide potable water, sanitation, smokeless stoves, recycled eyeglasses, physical therapy, surgery and health care professional training that benefit some of the poorest of the poor in Honduras. The VHC Medical Brigade sends teams to Honduras every year and started and supports three clinics in remote mountain areas.
Dr. Byer has been a Board Member of Brother’s Brother Foundation, the Culmore Free Clinic in Northern Virginia, the Columbia Foundation of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, VA, the Cheshire Homes for the Disabled in Arlington, VA and was vice president of the Rotary Club of McLean, VA.
