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MARIETTA -- A local group has made a sizable pledge to the Match the Imagination campaign for the Washington County Imagination Library Fund.
The Marietta Friends of the Washington County Public Library have contributed $10,000 to the Imagination Library fund, bringing the Match the Imagination campaign to $23,808 raised and exceeding the campaign's initial $20,000 goal.
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has become the pre-eminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, the non-profit organization has gifted over 160 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.
The Friends of the Libary group in 2019 also partnered with the Marietta Community Foundation by giving $10,000 toward a matching campaign.
"Voting to donate again to the Imagination Library Fund was an easy decision for [our] board," said Sarah Stephens, president of the Marietta Friends of the Library. "We always welcome requests for funds that encourage the love of reading in children."
Heather Allender, president & CEO of Marietta Community Foundation, was appreciative and is encouraging the community to keep the momentum going.
"Initially, our hope was to increase program registrations and be able to cover the influx of enrollment costs without scrambling to secure funding," she said. "We felt that $20,000 was adequate to eliminate the waitlist for a little while, but knew that more fundraising would be needed down the road. The community has really stepped up, and the Foundation is proud to announce that we will be capitalizing on this momentum by increasing our match to up to $30,000."
The Foundation's increased match brings the running total to $47,616.
Donations will continue to be matched 1:1 until $30,000 has been raised. Gifts can be made online at https://mcfohio.betterworld.org/campaigns/matchtheimagination. Donations via checks are also welcomed. Checks can be sent to Marietta Community Match the Imagination: $47,616 and CountingFoundation, 100 Putnam St., Marietta, OH 45750, and should include Match the Imagination in the memo.
Children who reside in Washington County can be enrolled in the program through the Ohio Governors Imagination Library website, https://ohioimaginationlibrary.org, or by filling out a form at the Foundation's office.Marietta Community Foundation supports philanthropy and efforts to improve natural, human and civic resources in Washington County through grants and initiatives.