California approves Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day in nod to hit song ‘9 to 5’
By Ricardo Tovar
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SANTA CRUZ, California (KSBW) — Sept. 25 will officially be known as Dolly Parton Day in California this year after lawmakers approved a Senate bill.
Senate Bill 931 was authored by Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, and Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. It proclaims the day in honor of Parton following her recent passing.
The date was chosen as a numerical reference to her hit song “9 to 5.”
“Dolly Parton brought joy to a lot of people, but her legacy goes well beyond her music,” Laird said. “Through the Imagination Library, she put books into the hands of millions of children and helped give them a love of reading from an early age. She also led with kindness and acceptance, standing by the LGBTQ+ community and reminding people that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Laird added that Parton spent time on the Central Coast, performing at the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles and visiting the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo over the years.
While Parton was known for her music, her legacy also includes decades of philanthropic work, particularly her efforts to make books accessible to children through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
California was also one of the first states to offer a bilingual English-Spanish book option.
More than 182,000 California children are now enrolled in the Imagination Library.
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