The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Antigonish has reached a signifigant milestone.

Kathleen Robertson, chair of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Antigonish, said the group delivered 10,561 books to around 780 local children.

As part of the celebration, the ABC for Kids Society and Sisters of St. Martha Antigonish are presenting  a Skinnamarink story walk at St. Theresa’s Garden, Bethany. People can walk through the garden from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October 18-November 1, and read the story and sing the song made famous by Sharon Lois and Bram.

Starting in 1988 in her home state of Tennessee, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a free book giving program, which sees kids get books for free until their fifth birthday. It came to Canada in 2006, and started in Antigonish in March of 2023, with the first books going out the following April. The ABC for Kids Society was started by the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Antigonish in order to help deliver the program.

Robertson thanked all of their partners and community members who helped enroll children in the program.