Deer hide donations benefit Wounded Warriors

Hides for Heroes is collecting deer hides to benefit the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation.

Deer hunters may place their deer hides in wooden boxes throughout the area, as well as in boxes in the northern part of the state.

The hides are then salted and sold to raise funds for the foundation.

The national nonprofit provides outdoor sporting activities for Purple Heart recipients who were wounded in combat.

The foundation pays 100 percent of the costs associated with the trips, including travel, equipment, hunting licenses and lodging.

The money raised through Hides for Heroes stays in Wisconsin to support hunting and fishing trips for Purple Heart recipients.

Local resident Dave Hintz started the fundraiser after attending an event a few years ago in Phillips, Wisconsin.

He had previously put out boxes for deer hides and then salted and sold them as a way to raise funds for various programs in the Iola-Scandinavia School District, when he was children were students there.

This year marks the fourth year Hintz is part of the Hides for Heroes fundraiser.

Those involved in the project want to raise $10,000 this year.

Hintz said the boxes will be out until Jan. 1.

Hunters may place donated deer hides in boxes at JR’s Sports Bar and Waupaca Foundry (all plants), in Waupaca; Mel’s Cenex, in King; JR’s Sports Shop and Depot Street Station, both in Iola; Scandy C Store, in Scandinavia; Big Falls Feed Mill, in Big Falls; Sand Burr Corners, in Ogdensburg; Kegler’s Lanes, in Manawa; the Cenex station, in Weyauwega; Ma and Pa’s Bait shop and Sunset BP, both in Fremont; Tomorrow River BP, in Amherst; the Cenex station in Wild Rose; and Critters Sports Shop, in Winneconne.

The Weyauwega-Fremont FFA Chapter is also placing boxes at the high school.

Those who hunt in northern Wisconsin will see boxes in the Phillips, Park Falls, Catawba and Prentice areas.