AUGUSTA (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage is urging Maine hunters to donate meat to help feed needy families.

The Republican governor said the Hunters for the Hungry Program lets Maine hunters “pursue a sport they love and help their neighbors at the same time.”

Through the program, hunters can donate bear, deer and moose meat to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and homes where people have medical needs. The program also accepts road kill donations as long as the meat isn’t damaged.

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the group that’s receiving the food will pay to process the meat.

Officials said that hunters have provided thousands of meals to families across Maine since the program started in 1996.