Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine Welcomes Dolly Parton to Ohio

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine welcomes Dolly Parton to Ohio to celebrate the statewide success of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, where every child under the age of five is eligible to receive a monthly book at no cost to his or her family.

The 2022 Inaugural First Lady’s Luncheon supported Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, a passion of First Lady DeWine. Currently, 343,490 children are enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, which means 48% of eligible children between birth to age 5 years old are enrolled in the program.

The Ohio First Lady’s Charitable Foundation hosted the inaugural luncheon with over 700 supporters.

During the luncheon, First Lady DeWine hosted a fireside chat with Dolly Parton, where Dolly explained how important the Imagination Library is to her. In 1995, Dolly Parton created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for children living in Sevier County, Tennessee. She was initially inspired to create the Imagination Library by her father, who was illiterate. Since 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has expanded nationally and internationally. The program was brought statewide to Ohio in 2019, under the guidance of First Lady DeWine.

Established in 2021, the Ohio First Lady’s Charitable Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on raising awareness and financial support for the First Lady of Ohio’s philanthropic endeavors. All proceeds from the 2022 Inaugural First Lady’s Luncheon supported Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio and the program’s local program partners.