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Join us for Dolly Dash, a 5K Fun Walk/Run!
Saturday, April 11 starting at 10 a.m.
900 Larsen Park Road near the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
Presented by Klinger Companies & the Gleeson Family Foundation
United Way of Siouxland has partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for 25 years, providing free books to Siouxland children.
Each $38 registration or sponsorship provides one child with
a free age-appropriate, high-quality book every month for a year!
It will be a day filled with music, laughter and fun!
And we highly encourage everyone to have fun by dressing up as your favorite book character, and even as your favorite version of Dolly Parton!
Thank You to Our Media Sponsors: KTIV, Powell Broadcasting & Lamar Advertising.
Want to be a Storytime Sponsor for Dolly Dash?
Storytime Sponsors make a big impact on the Imagination Library program
by supporting 65 kids who will receive a free book each month for a year,
that's 780 Books!
Current Storytime Sponsors are:
Great West Casualty
Seaboard Triumph Foods
Tyson Foods Inc / UFCW Local 222IN
And More Spots Available!
With a Storytime Sponsorship investment of $2,500, companies receive:
- Exclusive signage on the Race Path
- Name on all race t-shirts
- Recognition in event promotions, social media posts and online registration site
- 5 Free Registrations AND 5 Event T-Shirts
- Inclusion in press release & social countdowns: "Meet Our Sponsors"
- Recognition during event-day announcements
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Can I register the day of the event?
- Yes! You can register that day and pay via credit card.
- Yes! You can register that day and pay via credit card.
- I would like to bring my child to the event. Do they have to register?
- Children under 12 are admitted FREE with a registered adult. Strollers will be allowed for the children if needed.
- Children under 12 are admitted FREE with a registered adult. Strollers will be allowed for the children if needed.
- What happens if there is rain or bad weather?
- The event would be held at Southern Hills Mall Center Court, 4400 Sergeant Rd, Sioux City, IA 51106 (participants should park and enter through the Theater entrance). An email will be sent to the primary contact if there is a weather location change.
- Do I have to fill out a waiver?
- Yes! All participants MUST fill out and sign a waiver form. The waiver will be available the day of the event when you check in.
- Yes! All participants MUST fill out and sign a waiver form. The waiver will be available the day of the event when you check in.
- Can I bring my animal?
- We ask participants to leave their pets at home unless it is a Service Animal.
- We ask participants to leave their pets at home unless it is a Service Animal.
- How do I sign up my child for Imagination Library?
- This event will allow us to open more spots for Siouxland children.
To be notified when new spots open up, click here to sign up for New Program Alert.
- This event will allow us to open more spots for Siouxland children.
ABOUT DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails a free, age-appropriate book every month to children from birth to age five.
United Way of Siouxland has been the local supporter of the Imagination Library for 25 years.
Locally, thousands of children have graduated from the Imagination Library program with greater literacy skills, parent engagement and kindergarten readiness.
Presented by Klinger Companies & the Gleeson Family Foundation, the Dolly Dash 5K Fun Walk/Run will directly support the Imagination Library in Siouxland, helping local kids build their own home libraries and a lifelong love of reading.
The goal of the 2026 Dolly Dash is to increase the number of children who can register for the program from 1,300 to 2,000.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) has been the subject of various studies that highlight its positive impact on early childhood development, particularly in terms of literacy and school readiness. Here’s an overview of some key findings from studies on the benefits of the program:
- Research has found that just after 10 books, children in the program were at least 4x more likely to demonstrate stronger emerging literacy skills - such as vocabulary and phonological awareness - compared to children not in the program.
- Children enrolled were 9x more likely to be read to 4 or more days per week compared to children not in the program.
- Children in the program were 9x more likely to be interested in books and 15x more likely to join in during shared book reading compared to children not in the program.