Hansford County Can Support the work of Local Non-profits during The Panhandle Gives

by Suzanne Bellsnyder

The Panhandle Gives is a regional fundraising campaign organized by the Amarillo Area Foundation that supports our local Spearman non-profits by amplifying the funds raised by these organizations between Monday, November 25th, and ends on Tuesday, December 3rd.  

The best way to give is online at https://www.thepanhandlegives.org/ and look up the organization, or you can contact the organization to make arrangements to deliver contributions.    Checks must be made payable to: The Panhandle Gives with the organization name in the memo.
During the 2024 Campaign, Spearman has eleven local nonprofits that need your support.  Below is some information we have compiled on the organizations to help you with your giving:

O’Loughlin Center & Golden Spread Center
On behalf of the O’Loughlin Center staff and Board of Directors, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your continued support over the last 30 years.  That's right!!!!!  We celebrated our 30th anniversary this July!!   Thanks to supporters like you, the Center has been a mainstay for the citizens of Spearman and Hansford County. The Center has served the area as not only a fitness center, but as a place to host events like industry meetings, blood drives, health fairs, vaccine clinics, candidate forums, election day polling, banquets, weddings, high school proms and just about everything in between. We look forward to being able to serve the citizens for many many years to come.  Contact Information - P.O. Box 733, Phone: 806-659-3030; Keilee Goodheart, Exec. Director

Hansford County Library
The Hansford County Library has been a part of the Panhandle Gives and has raised money to support the ongoing operations and programming of the Library.  The Funds received through this campaign have been used to purchase new books and audiobooks as well as to provide necessary operating supplies.    Contact Information - 122 Main, 806-659-2231, Mandi Vargas, Library Director

Spearman Swim Club
The Spearman Swim Club was founded in 1974 and multiple generations of families have been involved in the beloved program.  The swim club has participated in the Panhandle Gives for several years and have used past funds to purchase new starting blocks for the Spearman Swimming pool and to purchase new lane ropes.  Contact Information - P.O. Box 800, 806-330-0215, Chris Womble

Spearman Ministerial Alliance
The Spearman Ministerial Alliance is a group made up of the preachers of the churches in Spearman. The organization was formed to be a central location for requests for assistance.  The current main project of the Ministerial Alliance is to operate the Food Pantry.  The funds raised through the Panhandle will be used to further their mission in these areas. Contact Information - 424 W. 4th,  806-330-0307, Yvette Hooper

Snack Pak 4 Kids
The Spearman Snack Pak 4 Kids volunteer group that works closely with Spearman School campus counselors to provide food to all insecure students, all the time keeping their anonymity.  The Spearman chapter of SP4K began in 2014, when Dr. Tom & Linda Latta saw what an impact this program had in Amarillo. SP4K provides students with high protein, name brand snacks each Friday that helps sustain them through the weekend.  children in our school district.  Contact Information - Need Address: Rosi Martinez, 806-270-0161

Spearman Community Fund
The Spearman Community Fund endowment is a powerful, permanent legacy that will have a lasting impact in Spearman beyond our lifetimes
.  It will remain in existence forever, while a portion of its earnings are used to support the worthy projects of the nonprofits in our community every year.  This endowed fund at AAF has grown from $10,000 in 2013 to over $660,000 in September, 2022.  The advisors have used a portion of the investment proceeds to award grants totaling over $139,500 to many Spearman nonprofits in the past 9 years.  We have supported SHS's ESL program, the Windmill Association, Station Master's House Museum, Hansford County Library, Spearman Swim Club, Spearman's flagpole and honor to R.L. McClellan, the O'Loughlin Center's Kid's Kamp, The Ministerial Alliance (Food Bank), the Dax Foundation and Snack Pak 4 Kids.  Spearman has many nonprofits for a town our size, and we wouldn't have been able to do this without the help of The Panhandle Gives event.  It has helped us work together with our 501(c)3-qualified organizations to share the message of support for any and all Spearman charities during this time. The donations that we have received during this event have allowed us to increase our grants. We have appreciated all of the past support from our residents and those who still love to help Spearman, even though they don't live here.  Won't you help us help those non-profits who are meeting the needs of Spearman residents by giving your charitable gift? Every gift is important, whether small or large.  The last few years have been tough for nonprofits, but the support that you have given to the Spearman Community Fund and Spearman nonprofits has helped them survive and thrive. Please help us make this the best year ever!  Contact Information - P.O. Box 639, Jackie Pearson, 806-886-0984

Spearman Scholarship Foundation
In the spring of 1991, Larry Butts and his wife Robbie Ownbey, both Spearman High graduates, attended the Stratford High graduation ceremonies. They were amazed at the number of local scholarships that were awarded to the graduates. Larry decided Spearman should be offering assistance to their graduates also. He enlisted his friends Carl Archer, Richey Thompson, and Kerry Henton to assist him in requesting donations from the community. In the Spring of 1992, the Spearman Scholarship Foundation was established and awarded $8,000 to Spearman graduates.  The Spearman Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to gather funds and disperse scholarships to Spearman graduating seniors and postgraduate students who apply and meet our qualifications. The Spearman Scholarship Foundation has awarded $2,253,600 to Spearman students to date!  We are incredibly proud of our foundation and work up to this point. Our hope and goals are for this foundation to continue on for many years while making a difference in the lives of graduating Spearman High students pursuing their education after high school. Thank you for helping us reach our goal and make a difference. 

The Ike Fund
This year The Ike Fund, Inc. is excited to join other non-profits across the panhandle in raising money for our heartfelt efforts. If you are new here and have questions, please reach out to us.   Now, you’re probably wondering...what actually does The Ike Fund do with their donations?! In July of 2024, the board approved a funeral assistance program in which we provide funeral assistance to families that have lost a loved one 17 years of age or younger that reside in Hansford, Ochiltree, or Sherman County. To date we have provided $30,000 of funeral assistance.   BUT, our big project that is currently in process is our Grief Retreat. We have been blessed with donated land, the fishing pond is nearly ready for water, construction of the pavilion will begin this fall, and ultimately if we can meet our goal with The Panhandle Gives campaign - we will be able to start construction of our first cabin “Ike’s Cabin” - that would mean we would be able to complete Phase 2!  Why is this so important to us? After losing our son, Ike, in June of 2021, we were blindly faced with a grief journey. Others that have walked the same path recommended going to a family grief retreat - we tried - they were very far away and hard to get into due to waiting lists. So, here we are 3 years later in the midst of constructing The Texas Panhandle’s very own Grief Retreat - death doesn’t discriminate - at some point in our lives we will all be grieving someone or something.   Thank you for taking time to read our story. Thank you for considering donating to our endeavors. Thank you for helping us help others.  With gratitude,  Cari Beauchamp

The Dax Foundation
The mission of the Dax Foundation, Inc. is to help relieve the burden of travel expenses associated with medically necessary travel for residents in Ochiltree, Hansford and Sherman Counties.  Inspired by our son Dax, his congenital heart defect diagnosis, and many months spent in Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital, we created the foundation as a way to help others facing a stressful diagnosis and the travel and expenses that go along with it.  Contact the Dax Foundation: (806) 200-4571 or email thedaxfoundation@yahoo.com

Stationmaster’s House Museum
This year, the Stationmaster’s House Museum is raising funds to complete our third and final year of our grand re-opening. This is also our 50th anniversary as a museum. In 2025, we plan to re-open the Cator Annex with the following exhibits: 
• An extensive Veterans and Public Service exhibit highlighting all Hansford County residents who have served. 
• A one-of-a-kind exhibit showcasing the culture and impact of Hispanic families. 
• An Ag Aviation exhibit that goes deep into how aviation in Hansford County and beyond. 
We’ll also feature up to 14 sponsored “rooms” that will provide snapshots into the families, businesses and colorful individuals that make Hansford County what it is today. 
Please help us achieve this audacious goal to support our mission of extending our culture and heritage to future generations. 

DONATE TO ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS TODAY by visiting: 



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