Dolly Parton is one of the most recognized country singers in the world, but she’s never forgotten her roots. Dolly grew up in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee and still calls The Volunteer State home. Today, she lives outside of Nashville on a sprawling Brentwood estate. Dolly loves Nashville and does her best to be a pillar of her community. She understands the importance of literacy and fostering children’s love for reading. As a matter of fact, it’s so important to her that Dolly Parton recently gave the Nashville Public Library’s Early Literacy Program a multi-million dollar donation.
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The Dollywood Foundation, Home Of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Made The Donation
According to a news release, the organization made a $4.5 million donation. It’s the largest donation in the Nashville Public Library Foundation’s history. The funds will help kickstart NPL’s new early literacy program, Begin Bright. The initiative will help every Nashville child start kindergarten ready to read.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library began in Tennessee in 1995 and will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. Today, the program exists in all 50 states and five counties, mailing three million books to children each month.
“I really believe this partnership can make a huge impact on inspiring a love of reading for children and families. And one of the best parts is that Nashville can once again light the way for the nation,” Dolly Parton said of her donation.
Next year, Begin Bright will launch in the spring, and NPL hopes to raise $20 million to build an endowment for the program.
Interim Library Director Terri Luke shared her gratitude for Dolly Parton’s generous donation. She said in a release, “We are honored to join Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in this first-in-the-nation partnership. Nashville Public Library is committed to setting our city’s young children on a pathway to reading success. With Dolly Parton’s passion for bringing books to children and her legacy of bringing communities together through her Imagination Library, this partnership now sets us on an inspired, heart-filled journey together – a legend, a library, and the community it serves.”
This story’s featured image is by Theo Wargo/Getty Images.
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