The legacy of Louisa Carpenter, a heir to the vast du Pont family fortune, on the Eastern Shore is an extraordinary rich one, filled with unisex couture, thoroughbred horses, fox hunting, and an active social life with the likes of Tallulah Bankhead, Louise Brooks, Noël Coward, and Greta Garbo, but her most lasting impact on the Delmarva can be found a few miles west of Chestertown in the small hamlet of Fairlee.
It was there the Mrs. Carpenter restored Fairlee Manor, originally built in 1825. Sadly, her life was cut short when her private jet crashed on approach at the Easton Airport in early February of 1976. Before her death, she had deeded the property to Easter Seals in 1953 to be used as a summer camp for children and adults with disabilities.
Since that time, the numbers of those served at Easter Seals Camp Fairlee now reach into the hundreds each year, but at the same time, the camp and Eastern Seals has been a somewhat hidden treasure. While many are familiar with the name of Easter Seals, its mission of helping individuals with disabilities is not as recognized to the general public. Gone are the days when Easter Seals could raise support from the sale of “seals” to be placed on postcards and letters, but the need for support has never been greater.
Easter Seals Delaware and Maryland‘s Eastern Shore’s President/CEO Ken Sklenar wants to change that lack of public awareness. With over 5,500 individuals directly served each year, as well as support services reaching over 25,000 family members in the region, Easter Seals remains a vibrant, extremely important part of the region’s efforts to help those impacted by a range of disabilities, including those who have autism, physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, blindness, deafness, visual and hearing impairments, and a host of other conditions that affect an individual’s quality of life at work and play.
Along with Easter Seals Fairlee Camp Director Sallie Price, Ken talks about the impact of Easter Seals summer programs, the organization’s challenges and future plans to continue to serve the Eastern Shore community of families with special needs children and adults.
This video is approximately six minutes in length
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