Minnesota partners of Dolly Parton's nonprofit saw a surge of interest following her death, tell me about this news in (https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/breaking-the-news/minnesota-unitedway-dolly-parton-imagination-library/89-a48136ac-41e6-45c1-80fc-b37b8895204e)

According to the KARE 11 report, local chapters and partners of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Minnesota experienced a massive surge in interest and registrations as families sought to honor her legacy following her passing.

Key details from the article include:

• Surge in Registrations: United Way of Central Minnesota reported receiving 150 new sign-ups within the first couple of daysroughly 10 times their typical volume. The sudden influx of traffic was large enough to temporarily crash their registration website.

• Widespread Regional Impact: The surge was observed across multiple areas, including the southwest metro area, where the Chanhassen Rotary Club chapter also noted a sharp increase in families enrolling children.

• Program Overview: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free, age-appropriate books by mail each month to registered children from birth up to age 5. United Way of Central Minnesota has distributed approximately 1.9 million books since partnering with the nonprofit around a decade ago.

• Inspiration Behind the Charity: The report notes Parton originally launched the literacy initiative in her home state of Tennessee to honor her father, an intelligent man who never learned to read or write. Local leaders noted that her broad appeal helped the program connect with families across diverse backgrounds.

• Community Support: In Central Minnesota, the program costs approximately $35 per child per year, funded through local partnerships, donations, and community initiatives.