Dolly Parton announced that she will be donating $1 million from her own bank account to the Mountain Ways Foundation to provide immediate relief to help those affected by the damaging impact of Hurricane Helene in our region. In addition, her business ventures in east Tennessee are matching the considerate donation. During her appearance in Newport, Tennessee, to the tune of her famous song “Jolene,” she serenaded the crowd with heartfelt words of empathy, “Helene you came in here and broke us all apart…but we’re all here to mend these broken hearts.” Parton boldly claims her Appalachian roots, believing it’s her duty to give back to whom she calls “her people…her mountain-colored rainbows.”
Dolly Parton is likely the most famous person currently residing in east Tennessee. Between her longstanding music career and savvy business ventures with Herschend Family Entertainment, the owners of Dollywood, she is a notorious icon worldwide. But more than that, her humble beginnings, loving personality and philanthropic nature make her a highly coveted star locally and nationally. A news article published by “The Federalist” attempted to brandish her name, claiming her LGBTQ+ allyship and “love is love” mantra as “false gospel.” Fans quickly came to her defense posting, “They came for Dolly. We ride at dawn.” The author of the article promptly apologized.
What I admire about Dolly, besides her clever remarks and witty stories, is that she garners bipartisan support and manages to keep politics mostly out of her platform. She, instead, stands on principles of love, kindness and care for others through her lyrical music and philanthropic work. She is passionate about helping those in need, specifically the people in her community, east Tennessee. Dolly grew up in poverty and endured hardships with her family of 14 in a one-bedroom cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Despite the difficulties she faced throughout her childhood, she has always maintained compassion for the people in her community. Dolly has created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a nonprofit that donates a book monthly to children as far as Canada and the United Kingdom. In addition, she has donated over $12 million to Sevier County residents who lost their homes in the Gatlinburg fires of 2016.
While I was not directly impacted by Hurricane Helene, I found myself completely devastated for our community and worried about the future of our region. It was a tradition of mine to visit the mountains of western North Carolina every October to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Dolly Parton’s recent appearance in Newport helped to remind me that Tennessee is the Volunteer State and that we will come together and help our community rebuild. It might take a while, but the current grassroots efforts and tremendous outreach of support have brought me hope, may it bring you hope as well. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones and pets. I hope you find some solace knowing how many of us are thinking about you and sending love and care your way.
