Dolly Parton's Legacy Just Expanded In A Huge Way
If you're a country music fan, you likely know that country legend Dolly Parton has big hair, and an even bigger heart to match it. This is exemplified by the numerous charitable contributions she's made over the course of her career. For instance, "Parton's Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund" gave over $9 million to people that lost their homes to wildfires that occurred in Tennessee in 2016, per Billboard. Parton also made a huge $1 million contribution to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in 2017 in honor of her niece who was treated at that specific hospital for leukemia, and to celebrate the release of her children's album, "I Believe In You," per WFMY News 2.
In 2020, the "9 to 5" singer posted on her Instagram a pledge to donate over $1 million to help fund research efforts for COVID-19. She was also credited with donating to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the Moderna vaccine, per The New England Journal of Medicine. She tweeted in November 2020 that she donated out of the goodness of her heart for nothing more than to help people. "When I donated the money to the Covid fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let's just hope we can find a cure real soon," Parton said.
As if her legacy isn't already solidified, Dolly has now expanded her good name by sharing with the public a huge milestone her foundation just celebrated.
Dolly Parton's library is expanding state-wide across Kentucky
Many folks like to call Dolly Parton the "patron saint of Tennessee," but her acts of charity know no bounds. Especially since as of October 26, the book program she founded in 1995, called "Dolly's Imagination Library," has expanded all across Kentucky. This is wonderful news because Kentucky is among the top 10 least educated states in the U.S., according to a study done by Wallet Hub in 2020.
"Exciting news, #Kentucky! @DollyParton announces the statewide expansion of her #ImaginationLibrary book gifting program throughout the Bluegrass State, thanks to funding from Kentucky State Legislators and @KyDeptofEd," the Imagination Library Twitter account announced. Dolly quote tweeted her foundation's message, confirming the wonderful news. "I'm so happy to share that @dollyslibrary is expanding statewide in Kentucky. ... Thank you to everyone partnering with us to make more dreams come true."
According to its website, "Imagination Library" is a nationally and internationally recognized book giving program that distributes high-quality books to kids from birth to five years old, regardless of their familial finances. It is located in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia in addition to the United States. "Of all the things that I have done in my life, this is one of the most precious things," Dolly Parton said in a documentary about the library, per WVLT. Per the Library of Congress, in 2020, the "Imagination Library" celebrated its 100 millionth book by gifting it to the Library of Congress! Wow!