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Dolly Parson died on August 25, at 80 years of age. While most of the world remembers Dolly Parton for being a beloved singer and song writer, winner of multiple Grammy Awards, and an accomplished actress and concert performer, she has said that she would prefer to be remembered for her work as "the book lady" through her Imagination Library charity.
So in keeping with her wish, I am dedicating this column to the children's program she established and which meant so much to her. Understand, this is not to overlook or trivialize her entertainment accomplishments, certainly there are plenty of other sources which have and will pay tribute to her music, and rightly so. But we, here, will cover the other part of Dolly Parton that many know nothing about.
Miss Parton, in her own words, described what her charity was all about. "Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can't tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.
"Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 3 million children. Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own.
"They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed. It's been quite a journey but we have so much more left to do. I would love for your community to join our family so please take the time to explore our website. Let's share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books. The first step is always the hardest, but you'll never know unless you try…"
She called her program The Dollywood Foundation and created it in 1988 to inspire the children in her home county to achieve educational success. Initially it focused on decreasing the dropout rate in her county's high school. In the early 1990s Dolly promised every 7th-grade and 8th-grade student she would personally give them $500 if they graduated from high school. This effort, called the Buddy Program, reduced the dropout rate for these two classes from 35% to 6%. More importantly, the program became a catalyst for the community to provide additional resources to sustain this improvement in the dropout rate.
In 1995, the Foundation implemented Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tennessee. This monthly book gifting program for children under five focused on inspiring a love of books and reading for all preschool children in the county. What began as a local program quickly grew into an international movement through the unique partnership among the Foundation, the publisher, the fulfillment centers and the thousands of local organizations who adopted the program. The Imagination Library continues to be the signature program of the Foundation.
In short, thank you Dolly Parton for all your gifts. Your gift of singing, of music writing, of performing, and of being such an uplifting individual. And mostly, your unselfish gift to kids around the world. Helping them to learn to read and to develop an appreciation of books that will last a lifetime. She has inspired several generations, who have gone on to achieving academic success in school and beyond. Rest in Peace, Dolly Parton. You were a special person.
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