Panhandle Cares plans June 12 health fair in Guymon

Panhandle Cares scheduled the Backpacks and Beyond Community Health Fair for June 12, 2026, in Guymon, and the pitch was practical from the start: resources for all ages, adult and children’s door prizes, bikes for kids and lunch provided by Seaboard Foods. Promoted through the Guymon Community Enrichment Foundation, the event was framed as a place where families could get help, take part in activities and handle more than one need in a single stop.

The nonprofit behind the fair says it is a 501(c)(3) governed by a volunteer board made up of community leaders. Panhandle Cares says it brings state, federal and private grant funds into Texas County and directs those dollars where they best meet residents’ needs, a model that puts local leadership at the center of health outreach. Its services page lists health and resource fairs, children’s health fairs, family fun night and family support baskets, showing that the June fair fit into a wider, year-round network of assistance.

The need for that kind of outreach is clear in Texas County’s numbers. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the county’s population at 20,577 in July 2024 and 20,322 in July 2025, and its profile showed 21.8% of residents under age 65 were uninsured in 2020-2024. Texas County is also Oklahoma’s second-largest county by land area, with 2,041.3 square miles, a geography that can turn routine access to health help into a long drive for rural families.

Panhandle Cares’ own calendar shows the June fair was part of an ongoing local strategy, not a one-time outreach push. The group listed a Texas County Children’s Health Fair on July 18, 2024, and a Texas County Health Fair on October 3, 2024, both in Guymon. GCEF also says Panhandle Cares was formerly known as the Texas County Coalition and that the two groups initially partnered on children’s health fair and elder fair events, underscoring how community partners have long filled gaps in local family support.

Families were directed to use a QR code to register, and Panhandle Cares’ contact information lists 301 NE 4th Street in Guymon, phone 580-461-0829 and support@panhandlecares.com for people who need help or resources. In a county where access depends on trust, distance and timing, the fair was designed to make practical help easier to reach.