Dolly Parton Imagination Library to be promoted at Mounds event

In early July, a familiar face began traveling around Southern Illinois helping Read SI celebrate the launch of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the region. 

The familiar face is a life-size cutout of the singer, songwriter and philanthropist, and one of its next stops is planned later in July in Mounds.

Southern 7 Head Start and the Birth to Three Program plan to host a “Vanilla Ice Cream and Sprinkle Day” on July 23 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Southern 7 Mounds Head Start, which is located at 327 N. Reader St. in Mounds. 

The public event will include an activity for the kids and will give families the opportunity to enroll their child in the Imagination Library.

Children who are enrolled in the program will receive free books each month in the mail until they turn 5 years of age.

Organizers said the appearance of the Dolly Parton cutout is meant to symbolize the excitement and magic that books can bring to young readers. 

The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was founded by the iconic entertainer in 1995 and has grown to become a global initiative dedicated to ensuring every child has access to books. 

The Dollywood Foundation pays for infrastructure costs, such as managing enrollment, coordinating mailing and negotiating bulk wholesale costs of the books. 

The remaining costs are shared by the State of Illinois and Read SI, whose members successfully raised the necessary funds to launch the program. 

As enrollment grows, so will the funding needs. Securing support from community members will be ongoing. The cost is $13.30 per child, per year.

Recognizing the impact of providing early literacy support has on educational success later on, over 70 individuals, organizations, and businesses have made this launch possible through their generous contributions, those involved with the program shared.

A complete listing of the Imagination Library sponsors can be found on the Read SI website at www.readsi.org. 

Among the top contributors are Legence Bank and Walmart in Carbondale. 

Other key donors include Fager-McGee Construction, First Bank & Trust of Murphysboro, the John A. Logan College Foundation, Oliver and Associates, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Walmart in Marion, Benton and Carmi and the Watermark Foundation. 

Schools and child care programs have also gotten into the act by sponsoring Imagination Library enrollment for all of the children in their program. Among those are Kiddie Kollege in Fairfield and Rainbow Day Care in Eldorado.

Read SI members firmly believe that every child deserves the opportunity to explore the world through books, and the Imagination Library will play a crucial role in fostering a lifelong love of reading. 

The introduction of the Imagination Library to the region promises to enrich the lives of countless children and families by promoting early literacy.   

“We are thrilled to bring the Imagination Library to Southern Illinois,” said Byram Fager, director of the Southern Illinois Community Foundation, the fiscal agent for Read SI. 

“Dolly Parton’s commitment to children’s literacy is inspiring, and we are honored to launch this initiative in Southern Illinois. Every child deserves the opportunity to explore the world through books, and we believe the Imagination Library will play a crucial role in fostering a lifelong love of reading.”

Read SI is a partnership of over 20 individuals, agencies, and organizations working together to promote the importance of reading and early literacy by launching and overseeing the implementation of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Southern Illinois. 

Cofounders of the partnership include the Southern Illinois Coalition for Children and Families, the Southern Illinois Community Foundation and the Walker Borum Foundations.

To learn more about the Imagination Library and about how to enroll a child, visit www.Readsi.org or visit the Read SI Facebook page. For questions regarding the Mounds event, call 618-745-6703.

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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