(February 15, 2014, Johnsburg, NY) The Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation has partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to bring free books monthly to preschoolers throughout the Adirondacks.
“It is time we bring this successful program to the Adirondacks and our foundation is committed to help make that happen”, said Glenn L. Pearsall, President of the Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was established in 1995 in Dolly Parton’s hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee as a way to improve preschool literacy. It is now available to all preschool children in the state of Tennessee and is expanding throughout the United States. The program sends a new book each month to each registered child, in the child’s name, free of charge from birth until they turn five. A book a month is now mailed to over 900,000 children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and most recently Australia.
“The Dollywood Foundation is honored to be partnering with the Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation,” said Christy Crouse, NYS Regional Director of Imagination Library. “This partnership will ensure that children all across the Adirondack region experience the joy of owning his or her library of books at no cost to their families. Dolly’s greatest wish for children is to help turn their dreams into the promise of a bright future. We cannot thank the Pearsall Foundation enough for helping make their dream a reality.”
Studies have shown that children who are read to and appreciate books before they enter kindergarten are more likely to do well throughout all of their years of schooling. The Dollywood Foundation administers the program and its special book committee of renowned authors and children’s book experts selects the books.
The trustees of the Pearsall Adirondack Foundation have committed up to $100,000 over a four year period to support this effort in the Adirondacks by picking up half the cost of the program for all enrolled children living within the “blue line” of the Adirondack Park. The Pearsall Foundation was established and funded by Glenn and Carol Pearsall in 2000 and is dedicated to “improving the quality of life for year round residents of the Adirondack Park”.
“We will be accepting grant applications for this new initiative on the same schedule as we accept grant applications for other programs within the Park that meet our mission criteria. Grant applications will be accepted from July 1 to August 31 for the following year, and awards will be announced in October”, said Mr. Pearsall. Information and grant application forms for Imagination Library funding are available on the Pearsall Adirondack Foundation website at www.pearsallfoundation.org.
Literacy Volunteers, Service Clubs, Church groups, Friends of local libraries and any other not-for-profit groups who wish to use this special financial help to establish an Imagination Library program in their Adirondack community should begin by contacting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at http://usa.imaginationlibrary.com/index.php.