Nearly $4,000 donated to Richmond Imagination Library affiliate after Dolly Parton's death

RICHMOND, Va. — The recent death of Dolly Parton has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the world, with people remembering her philanthropic efforts in addition to her hit songs, including here in Central Virginia.

Parton touched millions through her dedication to giving back. Among her most enduring contributions was Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that mails free books to children every month until they turn 5 years old. Parton launched the organization in 1995 to promote childhood literacy and later expanded it across the country.

CBS 6 interviewed Kimberly Fehrs, who works with the Richmond affiliate of Imagination Library, just hours after the news of Parton's passing.

"It was sort of like a gut punch," Fehrs said about the loss of Parton.

Fehrs said Parton's personal history was the driving force behind the program.

"It's such a huge gift that she actually started the idea because her father was illiterate and was unable to read, so she wanted to make sure that these barriers didn't exist for other people," Fehrs said.

Since CBS 6's story aired on Tuesday, almost $4,000 has been donated to the Richmond Imagination Library affiliate from 70 individual donors.

In addition to those giving back, Fehrs shared that nearly 300 children in Central Virginia have signed up for the program since Parton's death.

"The site is so flooded that we haven't really been able to get on to approve the registrations," Fehrs wrote to CBS 6.

If you would like to make a donation in Dolly's honor, click here.

If you are interested in signing your child up to receive books from the Imagination Library, click here.

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