LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- COVID-19 may have spoiled a Greenfield, Indiana, high schooler's graduation party this summer, but it did not stop him from celebrating in his own way.
"If I can't be with people, why not leave a legacy as my party to give back to the community?" said Nolan Hemminger-Jones, a future Butler University freshman.
According to a report by Fox 59, when Hemminger-Jones decided to cancel his party, he instead asked his friends and family to help kids in his community read. He turned his party efforts into fundraising for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program.
"Every month they get a book until they turn 5 years old, so essentially they have 60 books in their library by the time they get to kindergarten," said Emily Wethingon, advancement officer for the Hancock County Community Foundation. "We are in charge of raising the funds so that the program stays free to kids and children in our community."
"They share, they 'like,' they see it, so lots of people saw it and donated," Hemminger-Jones said. "I hope every dollar goes to helping a kid learn to read."
Nolan raised roughly $2,500 for the program. Wethington says that should provide around 80-85 children with books.
The Hancock County Community Foundation adopted the Imagination Library program in 2015. They partner with their local library.
"In 2018, I can give you that percentage, we were at 43% of kids [in Hancock County] that entered in kindergarten were below that readiness standard," Wethington said.
"I really hope that this instills in [children] that reading is important still," Hemminger-Jones added. "As a kid, I always loved to read, and my mom always helped to nourish that in me."
He hopes this gift does the same for these children.
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