Grove Rotary invites participation in 'Dolly Days'
Grove Rotary Club is inviting businesses and organizations throughout Delaware County to participate in the statewide “Dolly Day” January 19, 2024, helping raise awareness of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and its efforts to inspire a love of reading among children. Grove Rotary partners with the Imagination Library to offer a free book mailed every month to all children under age 5 in Delaware County.
“Dolly Day” is a statewide celebration initiated by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, with local affiliates like Grove Rotary organizing individual activities.
On January 19, which is Parton’s birthday, businesses in Delaware County are invited to celebrate with “Dolly” costumes, fun decorations, pledging a portion of sales, promoting the library on social media, and encouraging donations for the program. Prizes will be awarded for best Dolly Day themes and for total donations raised.
Businesses may get more information and register to participate in Dolly Day by sending an email to dpilrotary@gmail.com. Contestants should provide their organization’s name and which contest they are entering.
Mary Richardson, chair of the Grove Rotary Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library committee, said, “While we’ll have fun with prizes for participating businesses, the real winners will be our county’s children. Research shows this program helps improve early childhood development and literacy. With increased literacy skills, our local children will enjoy a brighter future in school and beyond.”
Parton launched the literacy program in 1995 in her home county in Tennessee. Since its beginning, the Imagination Library has spread nationally and internationally. The Library has given more than 200 million free books to children, through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and local community partners like Grove Rotary Club.
Grove Rotary launched the program for Delaware County in February 2023 and has reached over 1,000 children with free books every month. The Imagination Library partnership is among several educational programs supported by Rotary. Every year, the club provides free dictionaries for third-graders in the county. Rotarians also volunteer to read with young children in Grove’s Early Childhood Center. In addition, the club raises funds to award college and vocational scholarships each year.
Children must be registered by a parent or guardian in order to receive the Imagination Library books. There is no charge to register or receive the books. Age-appropriate books are mailed directly to the homes of registered children each month.
Parents or guardians may register their children on-line by filling out a brief form at www.imaginationlibrary.com. They also may register in person by completing a printed registration form available at various public locations, such as libraries. Completed paper registration forms may be mailed to Grove Rotary Club, P.O. Box 452286, Grove, OK 74345.
Registered children will begin receiving books at their home addresses about eight to 10 weeks after their forms are received. The first book distributed is always the children’s classic “The Little Engine That Could.”
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