In the wake of the devastating wildfires that ravaged over 1 million acres across the Texas Panhandle, “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan and star Ryan Bingham are stepping up to help the victims.
The duo announced they will host a benefit concert on May 20th in partnership with the Hotel Drover in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards to raise money for those impacted by the fires.
Sheridan, who is also the owner of the renowned Four Sixes Ranch featured in “Yellowstone“, said in a statement:
The recent wildfires have caused unimaginable losses for so many across the Panhandle. As a rancher myself, my heart goes out to all those affected. Ryan and I want to do our part to help the victims get back on their feet.
The concert, titled “Panhandle Strong“, will feature performances by Bingham, a Grammy and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter who portrays Walker on the hit Paramount series.
Other yet-to-be-announced country music artists will also take the stage. All proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund to support farmers, ranchers and families who lost homes, livestock and livelihoods in the fires.
Wildfires Cause Catastrophic Damage
The wildfires, which began on February 23rd, quickly grew into the largest in Texas history, scorching a total of 1,280,411 acres across the Panhandle region before being fully contained in late March.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire alone burned over 1 million acres. At least two people died and an estimated 10,000 cattle perished in the blazes.
Hundreds of homes, barns and critical infrastructure were destroyed. Among the properties impacted was Sheridan’s own Four Sixes Ranch, which lost approximately 80% of its pastures and vegetation to the flames.
The loss of livestock, crops, and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure throughout our property as well as other ranches and homes across the Panhandle is, we believe, unparalleled in our history, a statement from the ranch said.
Outpouring of Support
In the aftermath, H-E-B Grocery and its Chairman Charles Butt donated $1 million to recovery efforts, with half going to the State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund (STAR Fund) to assist farmers and ranchers.
Together with our chairman and the entire H-E-B family, we will work to ensure affected communities can recover from this tragic event, said H-E-B’s Winell Herron.
Local organizations like the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association are also collecting donations of hay, fencing materials and other supplies to help ranchers care for surviving cattle and rebuild what was lost.
“Disaster memories are short,“ Four Sixes Ranch manager Joe Leathers told radio host Glenn Beck. “It’s gonna take YEARS to recover from this.“ With the “Panhandle Strong” benefit concert, Sheridan and Bingham hope to maintain the momentum of support for wildfire victims.
We’re proud to be part of the tight-knit Texas ranching community, Bingham stated. Now it’s time to give back to our neighbors in their time of need.
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