Dolly Parton's book initiative reaches 300 million books milestone
Four organisations have donated $1 million to support the Imagination Library following a television tribute to the country music singer.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has distributed over 300 million free books to children since it began in 1995, according to a Times of India report. To support the programme's growth, The Walt Disney Company, the Country Music Association (CMA), Belmont University, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) have contributed a combined $1 million.
The donation follows a television special titled CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton. The event featured various country music artists performing songs by the singer to honour her musical career and her work in childhood literacy.
Parton started the initiative in Sevier, Tennessee, after being inspired by her father, who could not read or write. The programme aims to provide young children with books to encourage reading before they start school.
The Imagination Library is the primary project of The Dollywood Foundation. It currently operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, mailing over three million books to enrolled children every month.
Under the current model, children receive one book monthly from birth until they reach age five at no cost to their families. The foundation manages the systems while local partners raise funds for the wholesale cost of books and delivery.
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said the event turned a celebration of the singer into a contribution toward literacy. Jeff Conyers, President and Vice Chair of The Dollywood Foundation, said the donation invests in the dreams of future generations.