GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General opened its first store in Idaho on Saturday, increasing its presence to 47 states. The store is located at 30601 N. Old Highway 95 in Athol, Idaho.

Dollar General donated $10,000 and 100 new books to Athol Elementary School at the grand opening festivities of the company’s first Idaho store.

“It’s with great excitement that we open our first store and bring our mission of Serving Others to Idaho,” Dollar General chief operating officer Jeff Owen said. “At Dollar General, we are committed to being a good corporate citizen in each community we call home, including helping our customers to stretch their budgets, providing our employees with opportunities to develop their careers and donating to local charities through our Dollar General Literacy Foundation.”

Dollar General commemorated its first opening in the Gem State by hosting a community grand opening celebration. Beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, the first 100 adult customers at the store received a complimentary Dollar General gift card and tote bag. The Company also extended its mission by donating $10,000 and 100 new books to Athol Elementary School during the morning’s festivities.

Dollar General said it plans to evaluate additional locations in the state in the near future, and it added that the expansion into Idaho provides opportunities for nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to apply for adult, family, summer and youth literacy grant programs through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF). Since its founding in 1993, the DGLF has awarded more than $203 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 14.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education, the company said. Additional information on DGLF and applications for summer, family, youth and adult literacy programs are available at www.dgliteracy.org.