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An “Adaptive Canoe/Kayak Program” to help participants with physical disabilities gain greater independence through water sports at Easterseals Camp Fairlee is the winner of the third annual “Bill Adami Fund for Innovation” award. Camp Fairlee, located in Chestertown, MD, serves children and adults with disabilities.

An indispensable resource for the region, Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore is celebrating 75 years of creating an inclusive community for local children and adults with disabilities, seniors, and their families. Though early services focused solely on children’s therapy services, Easterseals has expanded over the years to meet the needs of adults with disabilities and seniors through innovative services to ensure they have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

Verna Hensley is the mother of Julia Hensley and the vice president of public affairs at Easterseals Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. "Most parents of children in their twenties are contemplating 'empty nest' syndrome, but it's a different syndrome that haunts me each day. Trisomy 9 Syndrome, a rare chromosome abnormality, entered my world almost 23 years ago when my daughter, Julia, was born."

The climbing tower and zip line at Easterseals Camp Fairlee will honor the memory of the late Charles Rochester Jr., whose families have roots in both the Rock Hall, Maryland and Wilmington, Delaware communities.

Each camper that attends Easterseals Camp Fairlee becomes a part of the Fairlee family, but some members have been a part of the family for a lot longer. Jamal, who has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair, looks forward to coming to camp each year and has been coming for 26 years. Starting at the age of 6, Jamal has made his mark on the camp well into his adulthood and enjoys every minute of his experience.

When Tim Ernst’s sister, Margaret, passed away he knew he wanted to honor her dedication to her daughter Madeline, who lives with a disability, in a big way. He combined his love of biking and his passion for giving children the opportunity to experience summer camp into a perfect package and that is when the Margaret M. Ernst Campership Fund was born.