During a Walmart event in Newport, Tennessee, Dolly Parton announced that she will personally donate a seven-figure sum to Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
“These are special people here; they’re my people.” “I feel like all people are my people, but everyone here grew up in the mountains just like I did, so of course I have a close connection to them. I can’t stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods.” “And so I really think that this is a time for me to step up again for all of us to step up and do what we can. Today, I wanted to announce that from myself personally, just from my own bank account, I’m donating a million dollars today, but there’s a lot to be done, and we’re trying to find other ways to even raise more funds,” stated the Country music superstar.
The singer/songwriter’s $1,000,000.00 donation will be given to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides immediate assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims.
Now 78-years-old, Parton grew up in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, and has oft times sung about her childhood home, with such compositions as ‘Smoky Mountain Memories’ and ‘My Tennessee Mountain Home’ becoming major hits.
Hoping that her donations would encourage others to help support the relief efforts, Dolly aded “I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbors – even strangers – during this dark time they are experiencing.”
After the hurricane Helene swept through the South East of the United States, some 225 people have passed away with the death toll expected to rise.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Eva Rinaldi