The Georgia Power Foundation recently presented a check to the Rotary Foundation in support of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Lowndes County, which is sponsored and managed by the Valdosta Rotary Club and the Valdosta North Rotary Club.

Dolly Parton started Imagination Library in 1995, and it became a national effort in 2000 through partnerships with communities and organizations throughout the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Each month, registered children from age birth to five years old are mailed a high quality, age-appropriate book, at no cost to the child’s family.

In Lowndes County, the Imagination Library program started in 2009 and since that time has enrolled more than 2,500 children.

According to Dr. Dennis Marks, past president of the Valdosta Rotary Club, nationally, the Imagination Library sends out more than a million books each month. The cost of an individual book is slightly more than $2 a month or $25 a year per registered child.

“This is the Georgia Power Foundation’s eighth annual donation,” Marks said. “This year’s donation of $2,575 will provide 103 local children with a book each month for a year.”

“We are always excited to engage in opportunities that will enhance reading for the communities in which we serve. The children impacted by the donation may someday become a part of our workforce at Georgia Power such as engineers, line workers and other highly skilled employees,” said Georgia Power Regional Director Audrey King.

“Our commitment to education also focuses on positively impacting early childhood development, as well as, education on all levels.”

To donate to the Imagination Library in Lowndes County, businesses and individuals are encouraged to send a contribution to the Valdosta Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 517, Valdosta, GA 31603.