Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/first-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8/ --- description: First National Bank's retrospective recounts the 2002 Dolly Parton concert that raised more than $250,000 for Imagination Library's South Dakota launch. title: First National Bank Recalls 2002 Imagination Library Fundraiser image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/first-national-bank-revisits-2002-fundraising-dolly-parton-s-book-gifting-program-020b288db1572feeeb7dffdf25951cc4.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Gift Cards](https://giftcard.news/gift-cards/) # First National Bank Revisits 2002 Fundraising for Dolly Parton's Book Gifting Program First National Bank's retrospective recounts the 2002 Dolly Parton concert that raised more than $250,000 for Imagination Library's South Dakota launch. By [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) April 4, 2024 2 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Ffirst-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=First%20National%20Bank%20Revisits%202002%20Fundraising%20for%20Dolly%20Parton's%20Book%20Gifting%20Program "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Ffirst-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=First%20National%20Bank%20Revisits%202002%20Fundraising%20for%20Dolly%20Parton's%20Book%20Gifting%20Program%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Ffirst-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Source image for First National Bank Collaborates with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Launch Book Gifting Program in South Dakota](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/first-national-bank-revisits-2002-fundraising-dolly-parton-s-book-gifting-program-w768.webp) Photo: Source: fnbsf.com [First National Bank](https://giftcard.news/company/first-national-bank/) in Sioux Falls has revisited the 2002 fundraising effort that helped bring [Dolly Parton](https://giftcard.news/person/dolly-parton/)'s Imagination Library to South Dakota. In a retrospective published on April 4, 2024, the bank describes how a concert at the Washington Pavilion supported a statewide launch of the children's book gifting program through local United Way chapters. The initiative emerged while [Bill Baker](https://giftcard.news/person/bill-baker/), the bank's former president and chief executive, was chairing United Way's 2002 Ready to Read campaign. The Imagination Library supplies free books each month to children from birth to age five. Baker and his colleagues wanted the campaign to reach families beyond Sioux Falls and extend across the state. According to the bank's account, Baker wrote to Parton asking whether she would donate a performance to help finance the launch. Parton agreed while touring a new album, with an estimated $40,000 needed to cover the production crew's expenses. Baker then contacted supporters to secure funding and an audience on a short timetable. The bank says the concert sold out within two weeks. Parton performed at the Washington Pavilion on September 4, 2002, and sponsorships, grants and ticket sales generated more than $250,000 for the South Dakota program. After the event, Baker sent a $40,000 check to [Dolly Parton Productions](https://giftcard.news/company/dolly-parton-productions/) from the fundraising account. The bank recounts that the check remained uncashed until Parton returned it near Christmas, explaining in a handwritten note that she had covered the band's costs and wanted the money used for children's books. The retrospective places that effort within the bank's longstanding involvement with Sioux Empire United Way. It describes the literacy campaign as an example of combining staff involvement, donor relationships and financial support for a community project, with the 2002 concert serving as the fundraising milestone. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [Becoming FIRST: The Dolly Chapter](https://www.fnbsf.com/blog/the-dolly-chapter/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — fnbsf.com ## In this article ### Companies * [Dolly Parton Productions](https://giftcard.news/company/dolly-parton-productions/) * [First National Bank](https://giftcard.news/company/first-national-bank/) ### People * [Bill Baker](https://giftcard.news/person/bill-baker/) * [Dolly Parton](https://giftcard.news/person/dolly-parton/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Ffirst-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=First%20National%20Bank%20Revisits%202002%20Fundraising%20for%20Dolly%20Parton's%20Book%20Gifting%20Program "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Ffirst-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=First%20National%20Bank%20Revisits%202002%20Fundraising%20for%20Dolly%20Parton's%20Book%20Gifting%20Program%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fgift-cards%2Ffirst-national-bank-collaborates-with-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-9df9eea720e8%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/emma-carter-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Emma Carter](https://giftcard.news/author/emma-carter/) Journalist — Retail & E-commerce Emma Carter covers retail, e-commerce and the gift card shopping experience for Gift Card News. From reading to building ## Your next move in gift cards. Tell us what you’re building. We’ll help you explore suitable providers. 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