Seeds of Imagination Luncheon
Join us on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 from 11:15 to 1:00 at Cherokee Country Club for the 6th Annual Seeds of Imagination Luncheon to benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Knox County.
Held at Knoxville's beautiful Cherokee Country Club, attendees will enjoy complimentary prosecco, a silent auction, live entertainment, the presentation of our Seeds of Imagination Literacy Award, and making new friends while championing literacy in our community.
Join us!
Individual tickets will be available for purchase on August 18th, or contact Kay Hurst (khurst@knoxlib.org) to sponsor a table for this year's event. If you are unable to attend, but would still like to make your presence felt, you can make a donation to the 2025 Seeds of Imagination Luncheon.
All proceeds benefit our Knox County program.
Our 2025 Honoree
Thirty-eight years ago, Mike and Ann Staup set out to build something special, Hensley Direct, Inc., a commercial mail facility rooted in East Tennessee and grounded in dedication, service, and heart.
In 1996, they embraced a bold opportunity: to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and help deliver books to every child under five in Sevier County. What began as a local commitment has since grown into a national mission.
Today, nearly three decades later, Ann and her remarkable team are processing over three million books each month, helping inspire the love of reading in children across the entire United States with nearly 300 million books being processed through their facility since 1996.
If you have questions about sponsorship, would like to donate to our Silent Auction, or want to suggest a nominee for our Seeds of Literacy Award, please contact Kay Hurst, khurst@knoxlib.org, (865) 215-8784.
Entertainment
Every year at our luncheon, we love highlighting talented local artists who capture the whimsical, imaginative spirit of storytelling and of Imagination Library.
The 2024 Luncheon featured the musical and storytelling talents of Kelle Jolly, The "Tennessee Uklele Lady," a Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellow with the National Association of Black Storytellers and South Arts.
Silent Auction
Before the program, mingle in the River Room to bid on exclusive gifts, products, and experiences donated by local businesses and individuals. You'll have to be quick to outbid your competition for a farm-to-table dinner at Windy Hill, an auto wash package, a golf adventure, and more! All proceeds benefit Imagination Library of Knox County.
Imagination Library
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Knox County mails one new, age-appropriate book each month to any Knox County child from birth until age five at no cost to the family.
Imagination Library is supported by our community—by foundations, corporations, grants, and individual donors like you! Consider making a donation today to help us grow Knox County's future readers.
Past Honorees
2021: The Nurses of the Childbirth Center at Parkwest Medical Center
