FILE PHOTO — Peter Abbarno, Twin Cities Rotary Members Ron Averill and Catherine Cleveland, Area Director Anil Puri, Centralia Rotary President John Elmore and Centralia Rotary member Arnie Guenther pose during a recent Dolly Parton Imagination Library Sign-up Event at Centralia Library.
The Lewis County Rotary Foundation and United Way of Lewis County are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the founding of the local chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library this month.
In its first year, the program signed up 2,000 Lewis County children.
The free program gives one book a month to enrolled children from birth to 5 years old. The local groups had a goal of signing up 20 percent of eligible children in the area in the program’s first year, and exceeded that goal, signing up 46 percent of eligible children.
“The purpose of Rotary is to improve life on this planet that we all share through programs and projects that provide that improvement,” said Chehalis rotarian Dr. John Henricksen, in a statement. Giving children the opportunity to be exposed to reading at an early age and thus increase literacy thru the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program is one of those projects.”
The United Way of Lewis County and Lewis County’s three Rotary clubs worked together to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Lewis County.
So far, the program, intended to increase literacy and preparedness for school, has given away 15,4000 books.
Any child under 5 years old can sign up and receive books at no cost by going to www.lewiscountyuw.com/dolly-partons-imagination-library
The program was kickstarted by a donation of $20,000 from the three Rotary clubs and is sustained through donations and fundraising. A $25 donation will sponsor one year of books for a child in the club.
“I think that it’s important for kids to be encouraged to reach, to dream, and to plan for a better life and better future,” said Debbie Campbell, Executive Director of United Way of Lewis County, in a statement. “The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has helped to do just that – one book, and one child at a time.”
For more information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, call (360) 748-8100 or email development@lewiscountyuw.com.
