This week, on behalf of Panhandle Proud’s fundraising partners, Good Bourbon For a Good Cause presented the Amarillo Area Foundation with a check for $220,000.00. The funds were raised by Garrison Brothers Distillery, III Forks Steakhouse, William Chris Vineyards, Texas Distilled Spirits Association and Texas Whiskey Association. The check presentation ceremony and donation represent the efforts of Panhandle Proud, an initiative dedicated to providing both urgent relief and long-term recovery for the farmers, ranchers, and families affected by the Panhandle wildfires.
The special event was held at the Omni Las Colinas, in Dallas. Dan and Nancy Garrison, Garrison Brothers Distillery co-founders, and Curtis Osmond, president of III Forks Steakhouse, presented Clay Stribling, president & CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation, with the extra-large sized donation check. The Amarillo Area Foundation is the only nonprofit community foundation serving the more than 400,000 people in the Texas Panhandle, dedicated to improving quality of life for its residents.
When the largest wildfire in Texas’ history broke out across the Panhandle in February 2024 and ravaged over 1 million acres of land, the Garrison Brothers team sprang into action finding ways to raise awareness and support for those most affected, particularly the farmers and ranchers who are the backbone of the Texas agricultural industry. As a proud supporter of Texas agriculture, Garrison Brothers emphasized the importance of giving back to the very communities that provide the grain they need to make their whiskey.
“The Texas Panhandle is the great breadbasket of American agriculture. Garrison Brothers and other whiskey producers purchase their grain from producers, coops, and malting houses located there. Panhandle residents are tough as nails. We are happy to help them rebuild with these raised funds,” adds Dan Garrison.
The much-needed funds were raised through a variety of Texas’ best style events and activations. In June, the Garrison Brothers’ Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, held after the Stonewall Peach Parade, raised over $100,000 alone, through ticket sales and an auction that included artist-painted bourbon barrels, Hill Country business donations and live music. In August, III Forks Steakhouse in Austin and Frisco hosted two special Panhandle to Table Benefit Dinners featuring Curtis Osmond of III Forks, Dan Garrison of Garrison Brothers Distillery and Chris Brundrett of William Chris Vineyards. The five-course ticketed dinners showcased the bounty of Texas’ meat and produce and raised over $120,000 over the two evenings.
Since its founding, Garrison Brothers Distillery has remained committed to giving back to the community through, Good Bourbon for a Good Cause, a nonprofit started by Dan Garrison. The 501c3 has raised funds for a variety of causes, both local and national, proving that good bourbon truly can make a difference in the world, helping to rebuild and uplift communities in times of need.