SALISBURY, Md. — Perdue Farms announces that the Perdue family and the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation have made a $1 million gift to support the forthcoming Paul S. Sarbanes Library, now under construction on Schumaker Pond in Wicomico County, Md.
This contribution will establish the Perdue Family Knowledge Center at the new library, which will serve as the central hub for the library’s main collections of books and other materials, the company said in its announcement, adding that this gift reflects the Perdue family’s longstanding commitment to strengthening the communities where its associates live and work. Since the Perdue Foundation began operating in 1957, one of its first priorities was supporting local libraries and fire companies — an early expression of the family’s dedication to education, access, and public service.
“This project embodies the core values our family and company hold dear: a commitment to improving quality of life, strengthening communities, and believing in the potential of every person,” Jim Perdue, the third-generation leader of his family business, Perdue Farms, said. “Both my grandfather, Arthur, and my father, Frank, understood a fundamental truth — when people have access to information and education, entire communities thrive.”
The donation marks a major milestone for the library’s Building Our Library Together capital campaign, the company added. The Perdue family’s and Perdue Foundation’s support provided the final momentum needed to reach the campaign’s fundraising goal for construction of the new library, which is scheduled to open in Summer 2027.
“The impact of both Perdue as a business and the Perdue family has been so critical to our region,” Marty Neat, board chair of the Friends Foundation of Wicomico Public Library, said. “It’s very appropriate that their support is such a key part of the Library campaign’s success.”
For more information on Wicomico Public Library’s Building Our Library Together campaign, visit www.wicomicolibrary.org/campaign.
