CENTRE– Cherokee County residents looking to honor Dolly Parton’s memory can support a program that places free books in local children’s homes.

Parton died Tuesday at age 80. In lieu of flowers, her family asked friends and fans to donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Since then, supporters across the country have contributed to the literacy program in her memory. Donors can also direct those gifts to the Imagination Library program serving Cherokee County.

How the Cherokee County Program Works

The local program mails free, age-appropriate books to enrolled children from birth through age five. Currently, almost 900 Cherokee County children receive a new book in the mail each month.

Each book arrives at the child’s home with the child’s name on the mailing label. Children may participate regardless of their family’s income.

Meanwhile, the Cherokee County program needs nearly $1,250 each month to continue its work. Local sponsorship materials place the community’s annual cost at $15.60 for each enrolled child.

Therefore, donations of any size can help keep books arriving in local mailboxes.

How to Donate to the Cherokee County Program

Donors can contribute through the official Imagination Library donation page. To keep a gift local, select the option to designate a specific Local Program Partner and choose Cherokee County, Alabama.

Moreover, the official form allows donors to identify a contribution as a memorial gift.

Businesses, civic groups, and other organizations can also choose a book-label sponsorship. For example, a $1,250 Reading Champion sponsorship covers one month and places the sponsor’s name on the book label.

A $625 Page Partner sponsorship provides one month of recognition alongside a co-sponsor. In addition, Imagination Supporter gifts begin at $250 and include social media recognition.

Sponsors at the first two levels also receive a social media acknowledgment.

Donors may make checks payable to The Dollywood Foundation and mail them to 111 East Main Street, second floor, Sevierville, Tennessee 37862.

However, donors must write ALCHEROKEECO in the memo line so the money reaches the Cherokee County program.

Send completed sponsorship forms and questions to Cynthia Green at cgreen@cherokeek12.org. The local form also includes a QR code for credit-card donations.

A Literacy Legacy That Began at Home

Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 for children in Sevier County, Tennessee. She created the program in tribute to her father, who could not read or write.

In 2000, the program began expanding to communities across the United States. Today, it sends more than three million books each month and has gifted more than 300 million books worldwide.

The Alabama program now serves all 67 counties through state and community funding. As a result, local programs raise half of their funding, and the state matches the other half.

Families interested in enrolling a child can check availability through the Imagination Library of Alabama website.

Finally, local supporters can continue Parton’s mission by helping another Cherokee County child build a home library.