Leanne Adkins
Born and raised on a dairy farm in Pease, Minnesota, Leanne spent Sundays at the farm watching the Purple and Gold with her father, Henry "Hank" Veurink, who inspired her lifelong love for the team. She later dedicated a Legacy Brick at U.S. Bank Stadium to him, engraved with a quote from the late Vikings Head coach Bud Grant: "We have no leadership. They rule by herd. Nobody is in charge. It reminds me of a bunch of cows." The inscription honors her family's dairy farm roots and shared love for the Vikings.
As a mother of three, she continued her father's legacy by passing her love for Vikings football to her children. A proud Concordia College alum, Leanne played collegiate basketball while earning a double major in biology and chemistry. She worked at Ecolab Inc. for 30 years, starting as a microbiologist and retiring in 2017 as the Vice President of Global Corporate Accounts, Food & Beverage. Since retiring, she has dedicated her time to giving back to the community.
Leanne, a single mother, volunteered with Raise The Barr, founded by former Vikings player Anthony Barr,which helps single-parent families. She also started a LARK, Ladies Acts of Random Kindness, group in Eagan, Minnesota. Each month, its 12 members contribute $20, and the host chooses a charity to receive the funds. Since starting, the group has donated more than $35,000 to local causes, such as helping families in need and creating care packages for elderly and disabled neighbors.
Leanne has been a Vikings season ticket holder since 2013, the team's final year at the Metrodome. She braved some of the coldest outdoor games in Vikings history at TCF Bank Stadium in 2014–15 and celebrated the opening of U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016. She also started a tradition of traveling to at least one Vikings road game each season with her three children, extended family and friends. Her goal is to attend a Vikings game at every NFL stadium. By the end of the 2025-26 season, she will have visited 17 of the 30 current stadiums.
Leanne's enthusiasm for the Vikings is contagious. She encourages others to embrace the game-day experience by sharing her season tickets with family and friends, organizing tailgates on the road and connecting with local Vikings fan groups outside Minnesota. She has a unique ability to make strangers, and even opposing fans, feel like family on game day. There's no better person to represent the Minnesota Vikings as their 2025 Fan of the Year. SKOL!