KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee drivers are required to get a new license plate when they renew their car registration this year. They can choose to get a newly designed blue plate, or they can choose a specialty plate.
If they choose a Dollywood Foundation license plate, they will help support Imagination Library programs across the state. All of the sales go to support Imagination Library programs across the state. Since 2017, the Knox County chapter of the program has gotten more than $30,000 from license plates.
"So, $30,000 for the Knox County program, that will support 2,000 children with an entire year's worth of books," said Danielle Velez, a program manager of the Imagination Library. "That's a great amount of money that we're getting from the license plate sales."
The program was founded in 1988 by Dolly Parton and grew to deliver books to children around the world. It's headquartered in Sevier County and every year, the Dolly Parton Scholarship also gives $15,000 to five high school students in the county to help them go to college.
The annual fee for the Dollywood Foundation license plate is $61.50, with $35 of that fee going to benefit the Imagination Library. It is available to all Tennessee residents. A full list of available license plates is on the state's website.