Dollywood Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Dollywood Foundation is the organizational body that oversees the Imagination Library, a free book distribution program started by Dolly Parton
in 1996. The program is based at her Dollywood
theme park near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
. Every child in Sevier County, Tennessee
, the area where she was born and raised, is eligible to receive a free age appropriate
book each month in the mail until the age of five. The program has since expanded to Branson, Missouri
and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
, cities where Dolly's businesses operate. The program can be implemented in other communities by private organizations, and the Foundation is responsible for the distribution of books in those participating communities.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
in 1996. The program is based at her Dollywood
Dollywood
Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community....
theme park near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
. Every child in Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County, Tennessee
Sevier County is a county of the state of Tennessee, United States. Its population was 71,170 at the 2000 United States Census. It is included in the Sevierville, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN Combined Statistical Area. The...
, the area where she was born and raised, is eligible to receive a free age appropriate
Age appropriate
Age appropriate refers to a developmental concept whereby certain activities may be deemed appropriate or inappropriate to a child's "stage" or level of development....
book each month in the mail until the age of five. The program has since expanded to Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
, cities where Dolly's businesses operate. The program can be implemented in other communities by private organizations, and the Foundation is responsible for the distribution of books in those participating communities.