In celebration of Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday, United Way of Northwest Louisiana is proud to announce the launch of the What Would Dolly Do (WWDD) Krewe, a new membership-based community initiative inspired by the heart, generosity, and lasting community impact behind Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

 

The W WDD Krewe is designed to celebrate and unite champions who believe in literacy, leadership, and showing up for kids in meaningful ways. Through the annual membership, service, advocacy, and community engagement, the Krewe will help raise awareness and generate sustainable funding for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free, high-quality books to children every month from birth through age five.

 

“This is more than a fun initiative. It is a membership-based movement built to create long-term impact,” said LaToria Willis Thomas, President and CEO of United Way of Northwest Louisiana. “As Dolly herself has shown us, when you lead with heart and consistency, you can change lives. The What Would Dolly Do Krewe gives our community a joyful and intentional way to invest in early childhood literacy while helping ensure this program remains strong for generations to come.”

 

UWNWLA is launching the WWDD Krewe as part of its commitment to deepen community engagement around Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library while creating new, lasting funding opportunities to support and expand the program across Northwest Louisiana.

 

The concept for the WWDD Krewe was inspired by the Krewe of Dolly (New Orleans, LA) and the Mystic Dollies (Mobile, AL), whose creative and visible support for literacy demonstrated how celebration, service, and philanthropy can come together to drive meaningful change. United Way is proud to bring this spirit of fun and purpose to Northwest Louisiana.

 

Members of the WWDD Krewe will have the opportunity to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through:

 

·       Community outreach and advocacy efforts that raise awareness for early childhood literacy

·       Volunteer reading events that help spark a love of books in young children

·       Fundraising initiatives throughout the year to expand access to free books for local children

 

Through creative engagement and visible community presence—including participation in local events and celebrations—the Krewe will help amplify the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library while inspiring others to get involved.

 

Community members interested in joining the What Would Dolly Do Krewe are encouraged to complete an interest form and learn more by visiting https://unitedwaynwla.org/education/.

 

For more information, contact wwdd@unitedwaynwla.org.