Local veterans got a first look at a van that will bring them to medical appointments for up to the next decade Tuesday.

“It’s nice,” said local veteran Roger Reller.

Leaders from the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans and the auxiliaries for each club presented the keys for a new veterans van to the county board during its meeting.

“All the veterans in the county were involved and that’s what you need,” said Wayne Madson, the county’s veteran services officer. “There was such a great response.”

After giving the keys to the county, the veterans and county leaders checked out the vehicle in the Law Enforcement Center Parking lot.

The Austin clubs and the American Legions in Mower County small towns came together to raise the money to buy a $43,000, 2012 Savannah GMC conversion van to drive veterans to the VA clinics in Minneapolis and St. Cloud for appointments.

Under an agreement made in the 1990s, veterans raise the money to purchase the van, and then the county provides maintenance, fuel, a driver and insurance. Madson praised the veterans for coming together to raise the funds.

“It’s a fantastic program, it shows the involvement the veterans groups have,” Madson said.

Madson estimated the van makes about 150 trips a year, giving about 1,000 rides.

The van features and extended roof and captains chairs so veterans have easier time getting into the vehicle.

Madson said he hopes the van will last about nine to 10 years, if not more. The previous van, which was traded in, was bought in 2005.