Downtown Bellefontaine Hosts 'Dollar for Dolly' for the Imagination Library
Downtown Bellefontaine went "9-TWO-5" for a good cause this September, with a special two-day event celebrating the legacy of Dolly Parton while raising funds to put books in the hands of Logan County children.
The Dollar for Dolly event took place Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 from noon to 6 p.m. at The Hanger Boutique, 120 N. Main St. in Downtown Bellefontaine. The event benefited Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Logan County, administered locally by the United Way of Logan County.
For a donation of $1 or more, visitors could step inside the pink phone booth in front of The Hanger Boutique for a Dolly-inspired photo opportunity complete with a Dolly Parton cutout, wigs, cowboy hats, and other props. All donations support the local Imagination Library program.
A fitting date
The event began on a fitting date. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine officially proclaimed September 25, 2026, as Dolly Parton Day in Ohio, recognizing Parton's life, legacy, generosity and longstanding commitment to childhood literacy. More than one million Ohio children across all 88 counties have participated in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio since the statewide program was established in 2019.
Dolly Parton showed what can happen when someone uses their platform to make a real and lasting difference, and the Imagination Library is an incredible example of that. Small Nation is proud to support the United Way of Logan County and the work they do every day for families throughout our community. Dollar for Dolly is a fun way to bring people downtown, celebrate Dolly's legacy and, most importantly, help make sure more Logan County kids grow up with books in their homes.
— Jason Duff, Founder of Small Nation
About the Imagination Library
Parton launched the Imagination Library in her hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write. What began as a local effort has grown into an international early childhood literacy program. Participating children receive a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail every month from enrollment until their fifth birthday, helping families build home libraries and establish reading habits well before children enter kindergarten.
The United Way of Logan County brought the Imagination Library to the community in 2016, with the first local books mailed in January 2017. Since then, the organization has helped thousands of Logan County children receive books at no cost to their families.
Today, more than 1,900 Logan County preschoolers are enrolled in the program and receive a free book each month. The impact extends beyond the number of books delivered. A study conducted with Logan County elementary schools found that incoming kindergarten students who had received Imagination Library books scored 21 percent higher on Kindergarten Readiness Assessments than children who had not participated in the program.
Every book that arrives in a child's mailbox is an opportunity for a family to sit down together, read and build skills that can make a difference when that child walks into kindergarten. The Imagination Library has become an important investment in Logan County's youngest children, and its success is possible because our community continues to support it. We're grateful to Small Nation, Downtown Bellefontaine, The Hanger Boutique and everyone who gives a dollar, takes a photo and helps us keep these books coming.
— Becca McGillis, Executive Director of the United Way of Logan County
How it works
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio is available to every Ohio child from birth through age five, regardless of family income. The program is supported through a collaborative funding model in which local program partners help cover the cost of books mailed within their communities, with matching support at the state level.
Dollar for Dolly offered the community a simple way to help support that work locally: make a donation, take a photo and help put more books into the hands of Logan County children.
