Gov. Tina Kotek proclaimed Friday, Sept. 25, as Dolly Parton Day in Oregon during a Salem ceremony that drew 672 people, including 330 children.

The proclamation honors the legacy of Parton, who died Aug. 25 at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, according to Billboard. The governor's office said the proclamation also celebrates Parton's signature song "9 to 5."

Before Kotek signed the proclamation, First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson read aloud from a signed copy of Parton's children's book "Coat of Many Colors" to the kids in attendance.

The event was hosted by the Marion and Polk Early Learning Hub.

"Every Oregon child deserves the joy of stories and to know that reading is a gift meant for them," Kotek said at the ceremony.

Salem Mayor Julie Hoy, Mayor-Elect Vanessa Nordyke and Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon joined state legislators at the signing. Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, Rep. Sarah Finger McDonald, Rep. Tom Andersen and Rep. Jules Walters also attended.

The ceremony spotlights Parton's Imagination Library, which mails a free book each month to registered children from birth to age 5 at no cost to families. The program has distributed more than 4 million books to children across all 36 Oregon counties, according to the governor's office.

Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee. It is now permanent in Oregon.

Kotek signed House Bill 4022 in June, making the Imagination Library an official state program. The Oregon Capital Chronicle reported that Laurie McNichols, Oregon's statewide director for the program, said in June she expected the total to reach 5 million books by 2027.

Kotek Wilson said at the ceremony that Oregon would continue honoring Parton's legacy "by putting books in the hands of kids every month."

The governor's office also noted Parton's personal connection to Oregon. She wrote the 1972 song "Eugene, Oregon" after performing there while ill and homesick, expressing gratitude for fans whose warmth lifted her spirits.

Families in Salem and across Oregon with children under 5 can check availability and sign up for the Imagination Library at imaginationlibrary.com.