Lou Castriota, Jr. cares about people. It is what motivates him to serve people, and it is what motivates him to give finacially to others. When Lou talks about serving people with disabilities, listeners get tears in their eyes. Lou has a vision, and he will not stray from the path he is on until that vision is reached.
Lou is the creator and chairman of the board of Leg Up Farm. This is a nonprofit organization spearheaded by Lou in 1997. His vision is that by 2004, Leg Up Farm will be a progressive and comprehensive rehabilitation center for children with special needs.
Lou, 30, and his wife Laurie are the parents of four children -- Olivia, Toby, Brooke, and Lauren -- from ages three to ten. Lou graduated from Dallastown High School in York County in 1988. For the past decade, he has been in sales, nine years with Fox 43 in York, and now as the national sales manager for WBFF Fox 45 out of Baltimore.
Caring about the needs of children with disabilities is not new to the Castriota family. Their five-year-old daughter, Brooke, has a metabolic disorder called mitochondria disorder. It is a big word with even bigger symptoms. Individuals can have different symptoms with this disorder. For Brooke, it affects her motor skills, balance and speech. However, it has not stopped Brooke from being an integral part of her family's life. "She is the one who's sensitive to everyone's moods. She's the sweetest, happiest little girl imaginable," Lou said.
Lou first heard about Easter Seals last year at York's Business Expo. He spoke with staff about the mission of Easter Seals -- "to help bring independence, equality and dignity to children and adults with disabilities." These principals mattered to Lou.
Later in the year, he met with Matt Ernst, the Easter Seals recreational therapist. Lou liked what he heard about the many recreational and therapeutic community-based programs offered at Easter Seals. Children with disabilities were participating in programs such as swimming, wheelchair basketball, tennis, soccer, water-skiing, snow skiing -- the list is long.
"My wife and I believe in making worthwhile donations that will have a positive impact on people. I will do everything in my life to make things better for people, particularly children," Lou said. This past year, he gave $1,000 to Easter Seals, which makes him a member of the Presidents' Council.
"My hope," he said, "is that I will have a positive impact on thousands of children for many years."
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