By TVBikerDad.com
Alabama drivers may soon have a new way to show their love for Dolly Parton — and it has nothing to do with country music and everything to do with helping kids.
A specialty Alabama license plate honoring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has generated a huge wave of interest following Parton’s death earlier this week.
The proposed plate features Dolly’s image and would help support the Imagination Library, the literacy program founded by Parton that provides free, age-appropriate books to children.
And Alabama drivers apparently didn’t need much convincing.
The specialty plate needed 1,000 pre-commitments before the state could move forward with production. The campaign started the week with only a few dozen commitments, but interest exploded following news of Parton’s death. By the weekend, supporters were reporting that the 1,000-plate threshold had been reached. (Fox News)
What does the money do?
This isn’t just another vanity tag.
Proceeds from the specialty plate will help pay for books delivered to children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program provides children with a free book every month from birth through age 5.
In Alabama, the money raised through the plate is intended to help cover the cost of books for children in the county where the plate is registered. (https://www.wtvm.com)
That’s a pretty good reason to spend a little extra money on a license plate.
How much will it cost?
The specialty plate carries a $50 cost, according to information being shared about the Alabama pre-commitment program.
And there’s a little catch: reaching 1,000 commitments is what allows the proposed plate to move into the next stage of the approval and production process. Alabama’s Department of Revenue uses the pre-commitment process to determine whether there is enough interest in a proposed specialty plate. (https://www.wtvm.com)
The plate campaign’s success would make Alabama another state offering a Dolly Parton-themed plate, joining states such as Tennessee and Ohio.
A pretty fitting Alabama tribute
Dolly Parton wasn’t an Alabama native, but her connection to the state through the Imagination Library gives this particular plate a purpose beyond simply putting a celebrity’s face on your bumper.
Parton built a massive philanthropic legacy around getting books into the hands of children. Her Imagination Library has become one of her best-known charitable efforts.
With Parton’s death at age 80 on August 25, the Alabama plate effort has taken on an even greater significance for many supporters. (Reuters)
And honestly, if you’re going to spend extra money on a specialty plate, helping put books in the hands of kids seems like a pretty damn good choice.
So if you see a little more Dolly on Alabama roads in the coming months, there’s a good reason for it.
It won’t just be a tribute to one of America’s most beloved entertainers.
It’ll be helping keep her mission of putting books in children’s hands alive.