Dolly Parton Is a New Kentucky Colonel, the Highest Civilian Award in the State
On August 27th, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear made singer and philanthropist Dolly Parton a new Kentucky Colonel, the highest award a civilian can receive in the state. Parton visited Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate her literacy program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
It began in 1995, and its initiative centers on giving away free books to children each month from birth until they start kindergarten. In the last 30 years, Parton and her foundation partners have gifted 250 million books to children in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia.
The program now covers all 120 Kentucky counties and has helped more than 120,000 Kentucky children—nearly half the preschoolers in the state. Gov. Beshear expressed his appreciation for the program and how it has helped children in the state. “Team Kentucky is proud to be a part of bringing books to children across the commonwealth. The program has already had a tremendous impact on the state, and we are excited to help extend its reach even further,” he said in a press release.
In the ceremony with Gov. Beshear, Parton said she never dreamed her library would get so big. “You never think at the time; I just wanted to do something for my daddy.”
The Inspiration for Imagination Library
In a letter posted on the Imagination Library website, Parton wrote about how her father inspired the program: “I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.”
Today, she is proud that her dad lived long enough to see the program’s beginnings. He passed away in 2000.
What began in her home county in Tennessee has expanded to 21 states and sends out over 3 million books each month. Parton aims to bring the program to every state and help create legislation ensuring all children under five years old can benefit.
When asked about her legacy, Parton said she wants to be remembered as “a good ole girl” who worked hard and tried to make people happy and the world a better place. “Of course, I want to be known as a songwriter and a singer. But I honestly can say that the Imagination Library has meant as much, if not more, to me than nearly anything that I’ve ever done.”
