Globally, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program mails more than 3 million books monthly to children from birth to age 5, with the purpose of fostering early literacy and setting children up for academic success. More than 52,000 West Virginia children age 5 and younger are registered to receive a free book each month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) Early Literacy and School Readiness Program.
To celebrate “Dolly Day” in West Virginia each year, statewide read aloud events are held featuring a selected book from the Imagination Library program. This year’s book, “I Am A Rainbow,” will be read during community events scheduled throughout the state Aug. 5-10.
At Marshall, women’s basketball Coach Juli Fulks will be reading at 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, at the Memorial Fountain on Marshall’s campus.
Also planned is the Dolly Dash 5K Run/Walk, a family-friendly event beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. The race begins at 9:05 a.m., and runners can register on-site. For those who do not want to run or walk, there will be face painting, line dancing and literacy-related activities for families to enjoy. All proceeds benefit DPIL of West Virginia.
“By celebrating ‘Dolly Day,’ we hope to spread awareness of the program,” said Maggie Luma, chief of staff at the June Harless Center. “First and foremost, we want families to understand any child in West Virginia under the age of 5 is eligible to enroll at no cost to the family. We also want the community to realize DPIL of WV has experienced significant expansion over the past two years to serve the children in our state. Sixty percent of the funding for DPIL comes from the West Virginia Legislature, which has doubled its funding for the program. However, there is still a need for support from the local community and donors to address the growing needs of the program. The Dolly Dash 5K is the largest annual fundraising event for DPIL of WV and we hope to bring a large audience out to celebrate and support.”
Partners in various locations across the state invite families to join them to celebrate the program and help spread a love of reading. For a complete list of read aloud events occurring across the state, please visit the June Harless Center webpage.
Anyone wishing to participate may reach out directly to the hosting organization in their location for more information.
Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, visit the DPIL website.
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