Alabama drivers could soon have a new way to honor Dolly Parton while supporting one of the country music legend’s best-known causes.

A specialty license plate benefiting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is moving through Alabama’s pre-commitment process, with interest in the tag surging after Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80.

The Dollywood Foundation submitted the proposed design, which features Parton’s portrait along with the words “Inspire a love of reading” and “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”

The plate needs 1,000 pre-commitments to qualify to move forward toward production. Kaelyn Christian, Alabama state director for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, told Fox News Digital that the plate had about 40 commitments at the beginning of the week and more than 550 by Wednesday afternoon.

By Friday, 1819 News reported the number had climbed to nearly 800, putting the proposal within striking distance of its goal.

For the Imagination Library, getting the plate on Alabama roads would mean more than another way to remember Parton.

Christian told Fox News that roughly $50 from each plate would go back to the Imagination Library program in the Alabama county where the vehicle is registered. Because drivers would pay the fee annually, the tags could provide an ongoing source of funding for local programs.

The money from one plate could cover the cost of providing books to two children each month for almost two years, or about 48 books, Christian said.

That support could help a program that has grown considerably in Alabama.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced a statewide expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 2023, with the goal of making books available to children from birth to age 5 in every Alabama ZIP code, regardless of family income. The program is now available in all 67 counties.

Christian said that about 114,000 Alabama children are currently enrolled. Children receive a free, age-appropriate book each month, and those enrolled from birth can receive as many as 60 books before they turn 5.

In Alabama, local programs raise half the cost of providing the books, while the state provides a 50% match. As more children enroll, local partners must raise additional money to continue serving them.

The license plate could provide those local programs with another steady source of support.

Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read or write. What began as a program for children in her home county in Tennessee eventually grew far beyond its original reach.

In Alabama alone, more than 5.4 million books have been delivered through the program since 2004.

For Alabama drivers who choose the specialty tag, honoring Parton could ultimately help keep Dolly’s dream alive of inspiring a love for reading — one book and one child at a time.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].