ABC/Image Group LAFor more than 20 years, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has changed the lives of countless children by sending them free books from birth until they start kindergarten. But Tuesday night, as she brought her Pure & Simple Tour to a hometown crowd in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the entertainment icon revealed she plans to mark a milestone by going a step further.
“I thought long and hard about the best way to honor our achievement of reaching a million children a month,” Dolly told the audience. “The Imagination Library is all about inspiring dreams, so what better way to pay tribute to this moment than by helping one special child pursue her college degree?”
She continued, “I’m thrilled that today I can let the world know that precious little Evey Johns from Conway, Arkansas will receive a $30,000 scholarship for the college of her choice.”
The two-year-old Evey, who’d just signed up for the Imagination Library, was chosen at random. Her scholarship money will be held in a special account until she enrolls in college. In 16 years, it’s likely to be worth close to $50,000.
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