BRANTFORD, ON — September 23, 2026 — Kids Can Fly is joining communities across Canada and around the world in celebrating Give Like Dolly Day on September 25, a new annual day announced by The Dollywood Foundation to honour Dolly Parton’s lifelong commitment to children, literacy and giving.
As the local partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Brantford and Brant County, Kids Can Fly is using Give Like Dolly Day to shine a spotlight on the impact of the program in our community and invite local residents to help put more books into the hands of local children.
To mark the occasion, Kids Can Fly is also continuing its 80 for Dolly campaign, which honours the 80 years Dolly Parton lived and the extraordinary legacy she leaves through her commitment to children and literacy.
The local campaign has a goal of bringing together 80 donors, with gifts of all sizes welcome.
“Dolly believed that giving could make a difference in a child’s life, and we see that impact here in our own community every day. Give Like Dolly Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate her legacy while inviting our community to help carry that spirit of generosity forward.”
— Shannon Simpson-Peeling, Interim Executive Director, Kids Can Fly
15 years of books in Brantford and Brant County
Kids Can Fly has operated the local chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for 15 years. The program currently provides more than 2,000 local children, from birth to age five, with a new book every month at no cost to their families.
“Every book that arrives at a child’s home is an opportunity for a child and caregiver to share a story and develop a lifelong love of reading. Our community makes that possible.”
— Shannon Simpson-Peeling
How to be part of 80 for Dolly
Kids Can Fly’s 80 for Dolly campaign invites community members, families, businesses and organizations to become one of 80 sponsors supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Brantford and Brant County.
Give. There is no required donation amount. Every gift helps Kids Can Fly continue providing monthly books as enrollment grows.
Share. Community members can also participate without making a financial contribution by sharing information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Brantford and Brant County and helping more families learn that the program is available locally.
Celebrate. Families already participating in the program are also invited to celebrate by sharing photos of their little readers enjoying their Imagination Library books using #80ForDolly.
About Give Like Dolly Day
The Dollywood Foundation announced September 25 as Give Like Dolly Day, encouraging people everywhere to support their Local Program Partner or another organization helping children in their community.
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honour of her father, who could not read or write. What began as a local effort in her home community in Tennessee has grown into the world’s largest early childhood book-gifting program, with local partners helping bring the program to children in five countries.
For Kids Can Fly, Give Like Dolly Day is an opportunity to celebrate the local people, donors, sponsors and community partners who help make Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library possible for children across Brantford and Brant County.
To support 80 for Dolly or learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Brantford and Brant County, visit Kids Can Fly at kidscanfly.ca.
Support 80 for Dolly Learn about the program