A very special graduation party is going to be held in Chatham June 5.
That’s the day the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent will mark the five-year anniversary of the first youngsters enrolled in the club’s ambitious reading program.
A joint project between the club and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the effort distributes free books to children each month starting when they are babies.
Since partnering with the Dolly Parton Foundation of Canada in 2021, local Kiwanians have distributed more than 15,000 books to 750 youngsters in Chatham-Kent.
Founded by the country music star in 1995, the Imagination Library project pays homage to literacy. Parton has said she was inspired by her father’s lack of literacy.
Groups such as the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent raise funds in order to support the initiative.
“Literacy is the cornerstone of life-long learning,” said Clare Latimer, president of Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent, in a media release. “Through our partnership with Dolly’s Imagination Library, we are proud to make a significant difference to the lives of children and families in Chatham-Kent.”
Latimer said the graduation event, to be held at St. Paul’s Congregational Church, is an “exciting way to celebrate how far these readers have come,” noting it highlights the transition of young readers to school and public libraries.
To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, to enroll a child, or to support continued growth of early childhood literacy through donations, visit the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent’s website at https://www.chatham-kentkiwanis.com/dpil.
