Iowa City Elks ask hunters, families to donate deer hides and send holiday greetings to vets

IOWA CITY - Members of the Iowa City Elks Lodge invite local hunters to donate their deer hides to help disabled veterans.

The organization collects the hides sends them to a Wisconsin tannery to have them processed before delivering them to veterans hospitals across the nation, particularly the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Here residents make wheelchair gloves and other items out of the donated materials.

Iowa Elks led the nation in donations last year, collecting 4,222 hides out of the 18,588 gifted to veterans, according to a news release. It was reported the Iowa City Elks collected 150 hides last hunting season, and are hoping to increase that number during this year's shotgun deer season, which ends January 29, member Bill Courtney said.

"This is a great way to show our appreciation to those veterans who have given so much to our country," Exalted RUler Matt Zacek said in the release.

According to their Web site, Elks are also asking families to have their children or grandchildren to spread cheer to veterans by making a holiday greeting card or crafts. Items are asked to be dropped off or mailed to the lodge, 637 Foster Rd., by December 16 for delivery to the Iowa City VA hospital the following weekend.

"We would like to make this a regular event to help show our appreciation for all of the sacrifice our troops have made for our safety and freedom," said Lecturing Knight Matt Devery.

Hides can be dropped off at the Elk's Club Maintenance Building, 422 Taft Speedway, in Iowa City.

Drop-offs can be scheduled by contacting Bill Courtney, at 321-6041, or Larry McConahay, 330-2643.