A unique cane-carver will be the special guest of the Sartell Senior Connection at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 at the Sartell School District Office.
Dale Lesser of Buffalo is involved in the “Eagle Honor Canes” program for military veterans who have lost a leg, foot or hip or who have received a Purple Heart for service to their country. Veterans apply for the canes at no charge to them. Then Lesser interviews each vet and gets details of what is wanted to be carved on that particular personalized cane. The handle of each cane is a hand-carved eagle.
The eagle-cane tradition began in the Civil War in which scores of thousands of men lost limbs.
Lesser has carved 160 of the canes since Sept. 9, 2011. Currently, he is the only such carver in Minnesota. One reason Lesser has been making guest appearances, including the upcoming one in Sartell, is an effort to get other wood carvers interested in the project.
Different styles of eagle heads, hand-carved, adorn the tops of canes in the veterans’ Eagle Cane program, available for any veterans who have lost legs or feet in service to their country. One of the program’s prime carvers, Dale Lammers of Buffalo, will speak at a Sartell Senior Connection meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. All are invited.
