Chatham Kiwanian to Match Donations to Club’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library

When Sandy Parker of Brantford passed away recently at age 67 after a lifetime of serious health issues her sister, Cathy Telfer of Chatham, was seeking a suitable way to honour her beloved sister’s memory. The pleasure of reading was very important to Sandy who once said “What would I ever do if I didn’t love to read so much!”

Sandy knew that the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent had become an affiliate of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. She was impressed with the project and planned to donate to the Dollywood Foundation to support young children in Chatham-Kent but didn’t have a chance to do that before her unexpected passing a few months ago.

So, in memory of Sandy, Cathy, a member of the Kiwanis Club, has established a matching donation opportunity. Every dollar donated to the project by Kiwanis and community members from October 1 to December 31 will be matched, up to a total of $5000 to sustain the participation of the young children in Chatham-Kent currently receiving books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

This book gifting program is devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children from birth to age 5. Children in Chatham-Kent who are enrolled in the program receive a high quality, age-appropriate book addressed specifically to them each month. The books are free to families but cost approximately $45 per year which is covered by the Kiwanis Club.

By partnering with the Dollywood Foundation, the Kiwanis Club has been able to encourage more than 400 young children, ages 0 to 5 years, in Chatham-Kent to love reading from a very early age. To learn more, go to https://www.chatham-kentkiwanis.com/g/dpil

To date, the club has raised funds through personal commitments, volunteering at Charitable Gaming, donations from 100 Women Who Care and generous grants from the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation and South Kent Wind Community Fund.

Those who wish to support this project can double the impact with this matching donation opportunity.

Donate Online

Make a donation and support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Chatham-Kent and help put more books into the hands of more children. (A tax receipt will be emailed immediately.)

https://donate2dpil.chathamkiwanis.com

Donations can be made directly to the Dollywood Foundation online at https://donate2dpil.chathamkiwanis.com  or by cheque to The Dollywood Foundation of Canada, P.O. Box 24022 King George, Brantford, ON N3R 7X3. Please dedicate your donation in memory of Sandy Parker and include your email address to receive a tax receipt.  

The Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent is a volunteer organization dedicated to serving the children of the world. Using the guiding statement: “Children are our focus. Literacy is our goal.”, the club has become a partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Canada.