Mark Pope gifts Dolly Parton custom Kentucky basketball jersey

Mark Pope presents Dolly Parton with custom Kentucky basketball jersey — IG: m.summers8

Country music legend Dolly Parton was in Lexington this week celebrating the expansion of her Imagination Library, which has brought over 120,000 children in Kentucky free books every month.

To help celebrate her trip to Lexington, Mark Pope and the UK men’s basketball team gifted Dolly her very own custom jersey. Her number? 9-5, of course.

Megan Summers, the assistant to the men’s basketball head coach, shared the photo of the jersey on her Instagram story. It includes Pope’s autograph and the Bible verse Josh 1:9.

“For the queen herself,” Summers wrote.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was first launched in 1995, providing free books each month for ages five and under.

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Gov. Andy Beshear joined Dolly at the Lyric Theater in Lexington to announce August as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Kentucky Month. The music icon was also made a Kentucky Colonel, an honor given by the governor.

“We were so honored to have the one and only (Dolly Parton) with us to celebrate her legacy through (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library) and the life-changing impact that books can have on a child’s future,” Beshear wrote on social media. “Thank you, Dolly. Kentucky ‘Will Always Love You’!”

We were so honored to have the one and only @DollyParton with us to celebrate her legacy through @DollysLibrary and the life-changing impact that books can have on a child’s future. Thank you, Dolly. Kentucky "Will Always Love You"! pic.twitter.com/4B4zXwJ3Eo
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) August 28, 2024

A few more photos and videos from the event:

.@DollyParton visited the Lyric Theater in Lexington alongside @BritainyBeshear and @GovAndyBeshear to celebrate the expansion of her #ImaginationLibrary program to all Kentucky’s 120 counties. For @Kentuckycom @monica_kast pic.twitter.com/hhI92cah69
— Arden Barnes (@arden_barnes) August 27, 2024