Page 14 - aruba-today-20240828

A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Wednesday 28 august 2024
Dolly Parton is sending free books to children across 21 states and

around the world

By H. HOLLINGSWORTH and ment Award a decade
BRUCE SCHREINER ago, said she eventually
Associated Press wants to see the program
Dolly Parton’s father grew in every state. She said she
up poor and never got the is proud that her dad lived
chance to learn to read. long enough to see the pro-
Inspired by her upbring- gram get off the ground.
ing, over the past three “That was kind of my way
decades, the 78-year-old to honor my dad, because
country music legend has the Bible says to honor your
made it her mission to im- father and mother,” she
prove literacy through said.
her Imagination Library “And I don’t think that just
book giveaway program. means, ‘just obey.’ I think
And in recent years, it has it means to bring honor to
expanded statewide in their name and to them.”
places like Missouri and Parton is an author herself
Kentucky, two of 21 states whose titles include the
where all children under 1996 children’s book “Coat
the age of 5 can enroll to of Many Colors,” which is
have books mailed to their part of the book giveaway
homes monthly. Dolly Parton addresses attendees at an event celebrating the Missouri statewide expansion of program.
To celebrate, she made Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. As she prepared to sing
stops Tuesday in both states Associated Press her famous song by the
to promote the program same name, she explained
and tell the story of her fa- the family going.” Tennessee in 1995. It spread cost-sharing model. that it is about a coat her
ther, Robert Lee Parton, Parton, the fourth of 12 chil- quickly from there, and to- “The kids started calling me mother made her from a
who died in 2000. dren from a poor Appala- day over 3 million books the ‘book lady,’” Parton patchwork of mismatched

“In the mountains, a lot chian family, said her father are sent out each month said. fabric, since the family was
of people never had a was “one of the smartest 240 million to kids world- “And Daddy was more too poor to afford a large
chance to go to school be- people I’ve ever known,” wide since it started. proud of that than he was piece of a single fabric.
cause they had to work on but he was embarrassed Missouri covers the full cost that I was a star. But Daddy Parton was proud of it be-
the farms,” she said at the that he couldn’t read. of the program, which to- got to feeling like he had cause her mother likened it
Folly Theater in Kansas City, And so she decided to help taled $11 million in the lat- really done some great as the multicolored coat that
Missouri. other kids, initially rolling out est fiscal year. well.” is told about in the Bible a
“They had to do whatever the program in a single Most of the other states Parton, who earned the fantastic gift from Jacob to
it took to keep the rest of county in her home state of chip in money through a Grammy Lifetime Achieve- his son Joseph.q

Comic Relief US launches new Roblox game to help children build

community virtually and in real life

By JAMES POLLARD second annual “Game to a scavenger hunt across The community-building “embark on an enchant-
Associated Press Change the World” cam- various realms, including inherent in collaborative ed journey to awaken the
NEW YORK (AP) — The no- paign features a magical SpongeBob SquarePants gaming is intended to sub- heart of your community.”
tion that online gaming new Roblox world, an ex- and Teenage Mutant Ninja tly encourage off-screen The campaign will culmi-
could help players develop clusive virtual concert and Turtles. Users travel through acts of kindness. “It’s a little nate in a weekend music
charitable habits seemed a partner in children’s tele- portals to collect magical bit like me helping you, you festival on Roblox begin-
bold when the anti-poverty vision pioneer Nickelode- tools that will improve their helping me all of us togeth- ning Sept. 13 that features
nonprofit Comic Relief US on. surroundings. The net pro- er. I love the idea of doing rock band Imagine Drag-
tested its own multiverse on The goal is to instill empathy ceeds from in-game pur- that in a game space,” ons, whose lead singer Dan
the popular world-building and raise money through chases will be donated. Moore told The Associated Reynolds has focused his
app Roblox last year. Press. “It’s not meant to be philanthropy on LGBTQ+
As philanthropy wrestles a banner ad or a sign that causes. Virtual acts also in-
with how to authentically says, ‘Do Good.’ It’s meant clude Conan Gray, Poppy,
engage new generations to be emblematic in the d4vd and Alexander Stew-
of digitally savvy donors, gameplay itself.” art all musical artists who
Comic Relief US CEO Alison Nickelodeon is also promot- got their big breaks on You-
Moore said it was “auda- ing an instructional guide Tube.
cious” to design an expe- for kids to start their own lo- Moore said she was “blown
rience that still maintained cal projects in real life such away” by last year’s num-
the “twinkle” of the organi- as backpack drives. bers. The inaugural game
zation that’s behind enter- Quests are delivered from has been played for over
tainment-driven fundraisers wizards voiced by “Doctor 32 billion minutes and one
like Red Nose Day. Who” icon David Tennant, performance received the
But the launch was suc- “Veep” star Tony Hale and highest “concert thumbs
cessful enough that Comic This image provided by Comic Relief US shows the virtual realm “Never Have I Ever” actress up rating” ever on Roblox,
Relief US is expanding the of the nonprofit’s new ‘Game to Change the World.’ Maitreyi Ramakrishnan. according to Comic Relief
game this year. Kids Relief’s Associated Press One wizard invites users to US.q