Raise a Glass to Reading

Thank you, Greene County!

The Greene County Public Library Foundation hosted their annual celebration of early literacy last night at Raise a Glass to Reading and for the second year in a row you sold us out in advance.

125 of you came together in donating $125 a person, the same amount needed to fund a Greene County child’s entire five-year enrollment for 60 age-appropriate books, mailed one a month from birth to age five.

While Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is well-known and loved, we don’t take your support for granted. We are humbled by your shared commitment to early literacy that allows us to grow this program’s impact in Greene County each year. Partnered with the many programs and resources offered by your seven Community Library’s youth services departments (and our Bookmobile!), this is meaningful work. Kids who read succeed.

That’s why we are excited to share that you locally donated a record of over $27,000 last night. We are still finalizing expenses, but this amount will go on to fund the enrollment of more than 216 children in Greene County.

In addition to individual donations, a large part of why we were able to raise this year’s record amount comes from our community sponsors. Thank you goes out to support from our program sponsor United Way of the Greater Dayton Area, event sponsors Collaborative Agile Solutions, Mills Consulting, K4 Architecture + Design, Anderson-Williamson Insurance, Rotary Club of Xenia, Reichley Insurance Agency, and additional support from G.A. White Homes, Friends of the Xenia Library, Friends of the Beavercreek Library, Friends of the Fairborn Library, Stewart Title Company – Aspen Land Title Division, Stewart & Theresa McHarg, Home Experts Realty – Meagan Roderer, Burton Hagler, O’Diam & Estess Law, Bruce Newell, Molly McHarg, Bonnie Craft Realtor, Luma Realty – Kari Northern & Jackie Priser, and McColaugh Massie Funeral Home.

But that’s not all! On our record setting year of local fundraising, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio Foundation is matching your donation, dollar-for-dollar. That makes the total amount raised in 2024 more than $55,000! A truly remarkable investment.

Thank you to Caesar Creek Vineyards for hosting us once again at their lovely vineyard, Grazing Tables by Dana for providing such a fabulous spread, Real Roots Radio for broadcasting live and helping to push out a car that got stuck, the board members, employees, and volunteers, and most of all – once again – thank you, Greene County!