Credit: Inside the MagicIn times of great tragedy, there are always great needs. Occasionally, great people with big hearts show up to meet those needs.
Unexpected events can occur with little to no warning, leaving a trail of destruction and despair in their paths. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other events can result in a loss of life, loss of property, and a loss of security, bringing about nearly immeasurable losses.
Related: Horrific Wildfires Reported Near Disney Park, 30,000 Displaced in the Chaos
In those times, many people who are affected depend on the kindness and generosity of others to cope with their losses and move forward. Often, that generosity is extended by celebrities who desire to help alleviate some of the financial burden being carried by those who’ve experienced the loss of personal items, clothing, and even their homes.
But in a world seemingly overrun with the insatiable desire for convenience and immediate gratification, modern conveniences like social media can be both a blessing and a nuisance–and though social media can be used for good, it can also be used in very hurtful and harmful ways–even when others are working to bring good to others.
The Danger & Devastation of Wildfires
Wildfires are often ignited by natural causes like lightning strikes or human activities such as unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, or arson. They can spread rapidly and are fueled by dry vegetation, high winds, and hot temperatures.
They have the capability to consume vast areas of forest and grassland, devastating ecosystems and wildlife habitats. The intense heat and flames can destroy homes, infrastructure, and entire communities, leading to significant property damage and economic loss.
Wildfires also pose severe health risks due to the smoke and pollutants they release, which can affect air quality and cause respiratory issues for both humans and animals. The aftermath of a wildfire often includes soil erosion, water contamination, and long-term environmental degradation, underscoring the profound and far-reaching impacts these natural disasters can have on the landscape and society.
Wildfires in Maui Claim More Than 100 Lives
The Maui wildfires that began in August 2023 were a catastrophic event that forever impacted the island and its residents.
Early that month, drought conditions, high winds, and dry vegetation combined to spark the fires that quickly spread across large areas, consuming homes, businesses, and natural landscapes in their path. Historic towns, such as Lahaina, faced extensive damage. Many structures were reduced to only ashes.
Though emergency responders and volunteers worked tirelessly to contain the blazes and support evacuees, the scale of destruction posed immense challenges.
The wildfires not only displaced thousands of residents as their homes were destroyed in the flames, but they also led to a significant loss of life. As of June 24, 2024, the official death toll accounted for the loss of 102 souls.
The situation was dire as the fires in the city of Lahaina weren’t contained until September. Devastation, destruction, and despair met residents once they ventured back into the town. All hope seemed lost. How would the townspeople rebuild? How would they ever recover–structurally, financially, physically, emotionally–from such a terrible tragedy?
Two Well-Known Celebrities Join Forces For the Good of Lahaina
At the time, it was known that at least 98 people had lost their lives in the firestorm, and more than 30 people were reported missing in the town of Lahaina, located on the northwest coast of Maui. More than 2,200 structures were damaged or completely destroyed in the flames.
The severity of the fires was greatly influenced by dry and dusty conditions in the region created by a strong high-pressure area north of the state of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora, churning south of Hawaii.
Many in the mainland United States wanted to help but were unsure how to do so.
In the aftermath of the firestorm, celebrities like actor Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey took the lead in helping to raise money for the benefit of those in Lahaina who had lost so much, making an initial donation of $10 million to their non-profit endeavor called the People’s Fund of Maui. But despite their Good Samaritan efforts, many online took issue with the celebrities’ actions in inviting fans to donate to the fund as well.
Fans Take Issue With Oprah and “The Rock”
Though the fund was set up to distribute $1,200 per month to individuals and families who were affected by the wildfires in Maui, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Disney Legend Oprah Winfrey immediately faced outrage and harsh criticism from people on social media.
In a video of the duo talking about the People’s Fund of Maui, Oprah Winfrey explains that she was inspired by the work of country superstar Dolly Parton, who created a fund called the My People Fund. The fund was set up to help victims of the 2016 wildfires that scorched parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
But viewers of the video, which can be seen here, were quick to voice their disgust upon hearing such wealthy celebrities pander for donations–despite the fact that the celebrity duo had already donated $10 million of their own funds to kick off the effort.
Online Attackers Spread Lies About Parton’s Generosity
To make matters worse, some online users touted country superstar Dolly Parton’s charitable work in stark contrast to the efforts of Winfrey and Johnson, seemingly using Winfrey’s own words against her concerning Mrs. Parton’s benevolence toward the people of Tennessee.
Related: Crisis at Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Escalates As Police Conduct Major Investigation
Critics of the celebrity do-gooders went so far as to create TikTok videos about the scenario, claiming that Dolly Parton funded 100% of the My People Fund with her own money and never asked for donations. Others took issue with Johnson’s and Winfrey’s decision to mention Dolly Parton at all.
A popular video (seen below), which has amassed more than 1.3 million views, went on to spread propaganda about Parton, saying that the singer-songwriter never asked the general public for any assistance in raising funds for the people of East Tennessee.
@sweetheartalabama Don’t drag Dolly into this! #dolly #maui #oprah #therock #donations @oprah #wildfires #charity #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – sweetheartalabama
Various comments were posted in response to the false rumors about Dolly Parton’s contributions to the fund, including one that reads, “Dolly donated her own money and supported victims without fanfare or asking for public donations.”
Related: Dolly Parton Attacker Now “Regrets” Her Actions Against the Country Music Sweetheart
Another comment reads, “Dolly didn’t ask for money; she gave from her heart.” Still another post read, “Dolly gives from her heart and doesn’t ask others to give.”
And those were just two of the countless comments made about Parton’s supposed self-sufficiency in donating to the fund she created in the aftermath of the 2016 Tennessee wildfires..
So, What’s the Truth?
The truth about all of the scenarios emerged after Snopes.com picked up the story and found that online users had spread false information about Mrs. Parton’s contributions to make Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfrey look even more foolish and greedy.
Another fact not acknowledged in TikTok videos and comments was that Parton’s team had consulted with Winfrey’s team multiple times following the Maui wildfires in order to share the lessons they’d learned from managing the previous Smokies fire fund in 2016 and 2017.
Parton’s previous efforts to establish the My People Fund included pledging $1,000 per month to each individual or family affected by the tragedy. The fund ended up bringing in so many donations from a telethon and other efforts that her Dollywood Foundation was able to provide more money than expected to victims who had been affected by the fire.
Related: ‘Friends’ Star Jennifer Aniston Takes on the Daunting Task of Recreating Dolly Parton in New Film
Though the truth is that Dolly Parton, who is known for her philanthropy, was not 100% responsible for the contributions to her My People Fund, despite what online users claimed, there seems to be no end to the famous singer’s charitable endeavors.
Dolly Parton’s Long History of Benevolence & Generosity
Over the years, Dolly Parton has generously given to numerous organizations and entities, and she has donated millions of books through her charitable organization, The Dollywood Foundation, a separate entity from Mrs. Parton’s Dollywood theme park, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
As previously stated, in 2017, the country and gospel music superstar’s My People Fund generously provided $1,000 per month for six months to families living in Sevier County, Tennessee, whose homes were damaged and uninhabitable as a result of the November 2016 wildfires that ripped through Eastern Tennessee.
Also in 2017, Parton gifted $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Monroe Carell, Jr. Children’s Hospital, honoring her niece, who was a patient of the hospital as she underwent treatment for leukemia.
Parton is also known for her organization, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides books to young children at no cost to their families. The Imagination Library is described as “a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income:”
After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly. First books were only distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee where Dolly grew up.
It became such a success that in 2000 a national replication effort was underway. By 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books. It would prove to be the first of many millions of books sent to children around the world.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library encourages little ones and their parents to read more and is another way in which the country music superstar and business tycoon is working to improve countless lives of fellow human beings–including some of the tiniest human beings in the area.
The whole situation involving online users’ lies about Dolly Parton’s contributions and the Maui wildfires fund incepted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Oprah Winfrey is yet another reminder to anyone online to use caution and a little research of their own–as well as their best judgment–when deciding what to accept as fact when reading anything online.