Rotary Club Donates to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Program

On hand this past week to accept our Club's contribution to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library was Lynn Lewis, Senior Manager of Education for the United Way of Snohomish County and Leslie Elsemore, Program chair for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for the Lake Stevens Education Foundation. President Jim Kelley presented a check in the amount of $2,000 for the program.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a program that sends new age-appropriate book every month to children from birth to five years of age that live within the Lake Stevens School District. When a child turns 5 they graduate out of the program. Currently 876 children are receiving a book each month. To date over 1,300 children have graduated from the program. Educational studies show that regular reading to children is the biggest boost toward a successful education that they will ever get. The Lake Stevens Education Foundation promotes reading 20 minutes every day to a child.

There is no cost to the family. United Way of Snohomish County, the Lake Stevens Education Foundation and the Rotary Club of Lake Stevens as well as other service organizations and individuals help raise funds for the sponsorship. It cost $27 per year to send a book a month to a child. The funds from our Club will purchase books for children in the Lake Stevens School District for 75 children.