In focus: Dolly Day Lewis County raises money for youth reading program

May 20—The United Way of Lewis County and the Lewis County Rotary Foundation held a Dolly Day Lewis County special fundraising event Friday, May 17.

The event was dedicated to supporting Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Lewis County.

"Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a cherished worldwide initiative aimed at fostering a love for reading among young children by providing them with high-quality books each month from birth until age five at no cost to the family," United Way stated in a news release. "The program not only ignites imagination but also lays a strong foundation for literacy and learning."

The event featured a pledge drive on KELA/KMNT radio throughout the day. Listeners were encouraged to support the literacy goals of the Imagination Library by giving a one-time donation or signing up to be a monthly recurring donor.

On Saturday night, Cascade Country music artist Kitty Mae performed at The Juice Box in Centralia as part of the event.

United Way of Lewis County partnered with the Lewis County Rotary Foundation to start the Imagination Library in the county and has been running the program since 2019.

As of last December, 2,624 children in Lewis County were enrolled in the program, representing 57% of eligible children in the county, according to previous Chronicle reporting.

Washington was the 11th state to join the program, according to a previous news release from the United Way of Lewis County. The legislation was cosponsored by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia.

To learn more about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Lewis County, visit https://www.lewiscountyuw.com/dolly-partons-imagination-library.