The award-winning free book gifting program for children under age 5, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, will hold a family friendly 5K run/walk event to benefit the program at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park on Saturday, Nov. 16. Registration is open through Nov. 15.
The Imagination Library (www.imaginationlibrary.com) is now available to families in several Palm Beach County zip codes. The official local partner, the Palm Beach County Imagination Library, mails one free, high quality, age-appropriate book per month to every child enrolled, at no cost to the family, regardless of income.
The success of the Imagination Library program depends on local community partners, and the Palm Beach County Imagination Library’s third annual Imagination Library Run for Reading 5K, presented by the NCT Foundation, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16 starting at 8 a.m. All proceeds will go toward purchasing Imagination Library books for children in Palm Beach County.
This family friendly event will be timed by Accuchip, and the first 400 registered participants will receive a uniquely designed finisher’s medal, race shirt and swag bag filled with items from sponsors, including a Puma golf tote bag. There will be book giveaways of Imagination Library books.
Research shows that reading to young children is the biggest predictor of future success in school and the best way to foster a lifelong love of reading. Nearly half of all children in Palm Beach County currently read below grade level. The Imagination Library helps families build an at-home library of age-appropriate, high-quality books, selected by a panel of educators at the Dollywood Foundation.
Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, who never learned to read. Over the years, the Imagination Library has won many accolades, including recognition from the Library of Congress, helping to make it the preeminent book gifting program for young children in the world.
The Nov. 16 event will include:
Runner/Walker Giveaways — The first 400 registered participants will receive a uniquely designed finisher’s medal, race shirt and swag bag.
Imagination Library Book Giveaways — There will be book giveaways of the first Imagination Library book each child receives, The Little Engine That Could, with a special introduction by Dolly Parton. Penguin Random House is the official publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Literacy Americorps — The official event volunteers will be members of Literacy Americorps from the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County.
To register for the event, visit www.runforreading5k.com
