WADESBORO- Each year at the Anson County Partnership for Children’s (APCP) annual Barn Blast fundraiser, guests are invited to “Sponsor A Child.” which pays for children to receive Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books for a year.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until age five in participating communities. Parton launched this program in 1995 to benefit children in her home county Locust Ridge, Tennessee.
Since 1995, the program has grown to include communities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland. Over 1,100 children under the age of five in Anson County receive books through this program thanks to the efforts of the ACPC.
“We do ‘Sponsor A Child’ in honor of a child who has left this world too early,” said ACPC Executive Director Caroline M. Goins. “Last year, and this year as well, we’re doing it in honor of Datreon Amir Lowery, who was lovingly called ‘Day Day’,” added Goins.
Just a month before his first birthday, Datreon’s life ended due to complications from a birth defect known as Esophageal Atresia/Tracheal Esophageal Fistula (EA/TEF). Individuals affected by this birth defect cannot swallow. Datreon was the son of Datrell Lowery and Angelica Smith.
“Angelica has been part of the partnership family for many years,” said Goins. “She was a teen mom that went through our teen parenting program and she has flourished. She generously credits the Partnership for part of her success. She’s a beautiful, very driven young woman. She’ll speak at Barn Blast,” Goins added.
ACPC has been doing the Barn Blast for 14 years now. “It started as a need to fill gaps in services after we had a large budget cut. Through that, it has grown into a huge event because of the community that really embraces our mission and I am so thankful for that,” said Goins.
“We want Barn Bast guests to have an unforgettable evening of delicious food, lively entertainment, and games, all while contributing to the well-being of our youngest children,” said Goins. This year’s Barn Blast will feature auction items guests can bid on including original artwork, sporting clays packages, Charleston and Ocean Isle trips, and more.
In the past, there have been some unusual, yet fun things auctioned off at the Barn Blast. “We have auctioned off a serenade to someone, someone bought it and they could pick who they wanted to serenade,” said Goins. Goins added, “Jenna Clark did that. It was a lot of fun. It was a kind of comedy routine, along with the song.”
Last year, a child with Tourette’s Syndrome who went through ACPC’s Pre-K program auctioned off some of her paintings. The child paints as a therapy to help settle herself. “Someone bought that for over $400 and so she now considers herself a professional artist. It helps boost her confidence and she’s so tickled,” said Goins.
This year’s Barn Blast wil be held on Friday, Jan 31 from 5:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. in the Ingram Room at SPCC’s Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro. Reserved tables for eight are available for $500 or $65 for individual tickets. For tickets to 2020 Barn Blast, come by the Anson County Partnership for Children located 117 South Greene Street, Wadesboro or call at (704) 694-4036 or visit their site at www.ansonchildren.org.