Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library coming to county

    Committee members of the Imperial Community Foundation Fund (ICFF) agreed without hesitation to sponsor Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) program.
    The partnership provides the opportunity for all Chase County children to receive a free book every month from birth to their fifth birthday.
    Highline Electric Association kicked off the program with $2,000 to get the ball rolling. Even more important than the funding, it was Highline that introduced the program to Doug Gaswick, ICFF treasurer. Highline helped start DPIL in Phillips County. Having witnessed the success, they want to see it implemented in all their service area.
    The company believes every child should have the opportunity to succeed and can think of no better start than ensuring the children in their communities grow up in homes filled with books that inspire a passion for reading and lifelong learning, according to Highline General Manager Dennis Herman.
    Allo Communications also committed $1,000 per year for three years to support the opportunity, according to Tanna Hanna, an Allo employee and ICFF’s vice chair.
    Supporting education efforts in all their communities statewide has always been an Allo commitment, according to Hanna. They understand that when kids have the tools they need, the entire community prospers.
    “I am so pumped for this program,” said Brianna Pribbeno, an ICFF committee member as well as an Allo employee.
    “I can’t wait to spread the word and make a real difference for kids around Chase County in their early growth and development. Reading is such a gift,” she added.    
    Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly Parton, a world-famous country singer and song writer, started her Imagination Library in 1995 for the children within her home county in Tennessee.
    Today, her program spans five countries and gifts over one million books each month at no cost to children around the world.
    “When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Dolly said in promotional materials.
    “I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world,” she added.
    A free age-appropriate book will arrive monthly addressed directly to the child with a Chase County address. There are no limits to number of registered children within a household.
    All registrations go through the Lied Imperial Public Library for approval. They can be made by stopping into the library or calling 308-882-4754. Those who have registered online report it’s a simple process. The link is https://imaginationli brary.com/check-availability.
    Librarian Beth Falla cautioned that it’s very important to use an exact mailing address rather than a physical address unless they are the same.