Minnesota Elks Association
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Veterans Leather Program

For many patients in VA hospitals, time can move slowly between visits from family and friends. In addition to holding events and providing friendship to veterans in VA hospitals, Elks also provide the tools for veterans to take up a new skill. The Veterans Leather Program relies on the charity of hunters across the nation to donate hides so they can be turned into leather used for therapy programs for recovering veterans.  Leather is also used to provide professionally-crafted gloves for veterans in wheelchairs, which are distributed at veterans sports clinics and gatherings throughout the country.

Each year, thousand of Elks step up to help out with this program, offering their time, energy and skills to serve veterans. Last year alone, more than 15,000 hides were donated to the Elks. These generous gifts were used to create thousands of gloves and therapy kits for veterans at no charge.

Deer Hide Donation Program
  • Click here to download a flyer promoting the deer hide collection program here in Minnesota.
  • There is an instructional guide for how to care for the hides. Click here for the guide.
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