A Letter of Thanks

Nov 24, 2021 | Written by Emily Rose Clayton

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for the many blessings our community has given us.

We are blessed that over 80 volunteers helped us provide a safe, meaningful half marathon to more than 650 runners and walkers from 23 states earlier this month, and that 1,336 people completed the Get Your Tail on the Trail 165 Mile Challenge.

We are blessed to have 19 museum volunteers willing to dedicate over 1200 hours as of mid-October 2021 to provide a unique museum experience for visitors.

We are blessed that so many people responded to help clean up the D&L Trail after the September flooding that caused devastation throughout the Corridor.

We are so blessed, and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is thankful for YOU – our museum visitors, trail users, volunteers, members, and donors.

So much has changed at the D&L, our team, our projects, our programs- but the enthusiasm we hold for our mission has not. The knowledge that our community is ever-growing and filled with such amazing people; that recognition and appreciation of our heritage area only continues to grow – is thanks to all of you.

Your support inspires us to keep doing what we’re doing, thank you! We wish you all a joyful and healthy Thanksgiving filled with many blessings!

Don’t forget to #OptOutside on Friday to enjoy the beauty and peace of nature throughout the D&L Corridor. Then on Saturday, visit the many D&L Trail Friendly Businesses to #ShopSmall on Small Business Saturday and swing by the National Canal Museum on #MuseumStoreSunday for special discounts and unique, locally sourced items.

Thank you for being part of our D&L family,

Claire W. Sadler

Executive Director

Michael Drabenstott

Chairman, Board of Directors

Other D&L Blessings:

We are blessed to be able to have Section 8 of the Lehigh Navigation still watered, thanks to City of Easton, so we can operate one of the last mule-drawn canal boat rides in the country for locals and visitors to enjoy.

We are blessed to be able to offer new virtual programs, hands-on traveling trunk supplies, and a refreshed Tales of the Towpath website to engage students far and wide until schools resume field trips.

We are blessed to be part of the collaboration that was recently awarded a $21 million RAISE grant from US Department of Transportation. A portion of that will build 3.5 miles of D&L Trail to connect Race Street to Hamilton Street on the west side of the Lehigh River, getting us much closer to completing the 14-mile loop between Northampton and Allentown.

We are blessed to be able to operate the National Canal Museum, including our 2020-2021 Where Creativity Flows special exhibition and coming soon in 2022, our special exhibition on Women In Industry, thanks to Northampton County and many donors.

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