In late November, 2016, Carrieanna received this letter from her Uncle Ted, a former Grand Exalted Ruler (1991-92) and still very-active member of the Elks:
The Gift
Dear Carrieanna:
I am pleased to enclose another pair of Elks deer hide fingerless gloves. They feel like the softest leather known to man. I hope they will be useful for you.
These gloves come to you from Elizabeth P. of Wheeling Elks Lodge. Elizabeth and her husband Joe will be at our Lodge November 21 and 22 to accept deer hides from hunters in our area. Deer Season begins Monday. Elizabeth and Joe will offer hunters homemade soup and sandwiches.
The hides are collected across the United States by Elks Lodges. They are made into fingerless gloves for wheelchair patients in Veterans Administration medical centers across America. it is all part of our Elks Veterans Program.
Love,
Uncle Ted
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks U.S.A.
A fraternal, charitable and service-oriented organization, the Elks have been serving their communities, youth and veterans since 1868.
As the BPO Elks’ website states:
“Elks invest in their communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, by undertaking projects that address unmet need, and by honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans.”
Carrieanna’s Gloves
As you can imagine, the wheels of a wheelchair can become quite dirty and Carrieanna needs to protect her hands as she rolls along. The fingerless deer hide gloves provided by the Elks have kept her hands clean, warm and callous-free during her many years of self-propelled wheelchair travel.
Great Gloves for Travel
Here are a few of the places Carrieanna has worn these great gloves:
Amsterdam, NL
Paris, France
Tucson, Arizona
Airports – Schiphol and Heathrow
Gratitude
We extend a heartfelt Thank You to Ted and the BPO Elks for their work with the veterans and, especially, for their thoughtful gift of fingerless deer hide gloves for Carrieanna!
Anything Is Possible Travel 