Generous Donation Helps Veterans in Fergus Falls Stay Active and Healthy
News | Published on March 25, 2025 at 2:55pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
0Minnesota Veterans Homes – Fergus Falls Residents are grateful for a donation aimed at keeping them active, entertained and healthy. Runningen Furs – a locally family-owned business – recently donated $2,826 to the Fergus Falls Veterans Home’s Recreation Fund.
This donation was the latest in a series of gifts to honor Veteran Ruben Runningen, a Resident of the Home from 2017 until his passing in April 2019.s In 2020, Runningen’s began collecting hides from locations throughout Minnesota to raise money for Veterans recreational activities and bingo—which Ruben enjoyed. During the hunting season, Runningen Furs places boxes at nearby convenience stores where hunters can donate their deer hides to honor of Ruben and all Residents of the Home. In five years, the Hides for Heroes program raised more than $7,300.
The Veterans Recreation Fund keeps Residents active with more than 250 activities and events during the year, including:
• Field trips
• Parades
• Weekly cash bingo prizes
• In-house entertainers
• The Resident Arts Program
• Weekly Legion Rib Dinners
• Weekly breakfasts at the truck stop
• Pontoon fishing trips
• Bowling
• Summer Music Fest on Ottertail Lake
• Boots on the Ground fall event
• Spring and fall scenic bus and golf cart rides
Nola Glocke, Ruben’s great-granddaughter, and Erick Blaisdell, Ruben’s grandson-in-law, donated the funds from the 397 deer hides collected during the 2024 deer season. Each November, look for the red, white and blue wooden hide donation boxes to make a deposit!
About MDVA
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is a cabinet-level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the eight State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.