Dolly Parton is one of the most beloved stars in the world: not only is she a legendary singer-songwriter, but she’s also a renowned philanthropist.
Parton’s most famous philanthropic achievement is her Imagination Library, which sends free books to children as part of her goal of improving children’s literacy. The nonprofit began in 1995 and now sends millions of books to children across the country each year: according to their site, one-in-ten children under the age of five in the US receives Imagination Library Books.
Now, the Imagination Library is celebrating a major milestone: they have now donated over 200 million books to kids across the country. In honor of this impressive milestone, Dolly is doing something extra special for a few lucky fans.
Dolly Parton is taking a page out of the Willy Wonka playbook: in September, she is going to put 7 special bookmarks in donated Imagination Library books. Recipients of the bookmarks will receive a video chat with Parton, a signed letter, an autographed photo and four tickets to Dollywood.
The Dollywood Foundation will also donated $2,000 to each winner’s local Imagination Library partner. The contest celebrates the nonprofit’s 200 million book milestone as well as International Literacy Month.
“It’s been one of my greatest gifts in life to help instill a love of reading through my Imagination Library,” Parton said in a statement. “Reaching 200 million books worldwide is a major milestone that I’m so very proud of, and I want to thank all of our local program partners, funders and supporters from the bottom of my heart.”
“But we’re just getting warmed up, we have so much more to do! Together, we can inspire even more children to dream more, learn more, care more and be more.”
Childhood literacy has always been a cause close to Parton’s heart. Growing up in Tennessee, she knew many people who grew up not being able to read — including her own family.
“My dad, like so many country people, the hard-working people… never had a chance to go to school because he had to help make a living for the family,” Parton told NCSL in 2019. “And so, Daddy couldn’t read and write. That always bothered him.”
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home county of East Tennessee, and over the years it has grown exponentially across the US and now serves five countries, sending out over 2 million books every month.
Parton, who never had kids of her own, is happy to have been able to make so many young dreams come true.
“Now that I’m older, I realize I didn’t have kids of my own, so everybody’s kids could be mine,” Parton told People Magazine in 2018. “I [want to] empower children and give them confidence.”
She also said that her dad, who died in 2000, got to see the nonprofit he inspired grow into something special during his life.
“He got to hear the kids call me ‘The Book Lady.’ He got a big kick out of that,” she told NPR. “But he took great pride and felt like he’d helped do something special.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an incredible nonprofit that has changed the lives of so many children by encouraging them to read — congrats on this incredible milestone!
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