Credit: Dolly PartonDolly Parton and Dollywood have just shocked America, revealing a multi-million-dollar investment to ensure the future of the Tennessee community.
Like Tennessee, North Carolina, and the greater Appalachian region, Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, has been heavily impacted by inclement weather this year. This has forced the beloved theme park to shut its gates for the safety of all guests and employees.
Related: Dollywood Ceases All Operations: Beloved Theme Park Now Closed
Sadly, Hurricane Helene — ranked among the most powerful storms in recorded history to hit the United States — caused devastating losses for nearly 100 communities in Appalachia and the Southeast. Amid the heartbreaking situation, Dolly Parton raised her voice and announced that she was taking matters into her own hands.
Earlier today, Dolly stopped in Newport in collaboration with the Walmart Foundation, one week after massive floods caused by Hurricane Helene impacted the community and other areas of East Tennessee. “I think that this is a time for me to step up again, for all of us to step up and do what we can,” she said.
Continuing her speech, Dolly Parton announced “that from myself, personally, just from my own bank account, I’m donating a million dollars today.” The announcement was received with a tremendous cheer from the audience.
Related: Dollywood Issues Warning to All Guests After Hurricane Helene
“But also, with my Dollywood companies and all the people I’m involved with […], all the partners that we have with Stampede, and of course the Pirates Voyage [Dinner & Show], and of course, the Dollywood Foundation, and we’ve added another million dollars to that,” the country icon added.
Dolly Parton mentioned that she, Dollywood, and other companies continued trying to find new ways to make more money to support Hurricane Helene’s relief efforts “because it’s gonna take a lot of money, as you know, and it’s gonna take a long time, and there’s still so much more to do.”
“I like to speak from my heart, and I just want you to know that I am totally with you, ’cause I am part of you,” Dolly added.
You can see a clip from this announcement shared by digital journalist Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) on X (formerly known as Twitter) below.
Dolly Parton says she’s donating $1 million from her personal bank account to help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. Another $1 million is coming from her companies and the Dollywood Foundation.
“I just want you to know that I am totally with you, ’cause I am part of you.”
Dolly Parton says she's donating $1 million from her personal bank account to help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. Another $1 million is coming from her companies and the Dollywood Foundation.
"I just want you to know that I am totally with you, 'cause I am part of you." pic.twitter.com/GJ5zynpYbQ
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) October 4, 2024
Dolly Parton and Dollywood’s donations represent a massive investment toward the mission of Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit offering help to Helene victims.
A WVLT report mentioned that these efforts are deeply personal for Dolly Parton. “It’s personal because I have a lot of my own relatives here,” she said. “It was devastating, not just because of my own people here, but because of everyone.”
A statement published by Walmart further reassured this statement by quoting Dolly Parton’s speech:
“These are special people here; they’re my people,” Dolly explained. “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. 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.”
Dolly Parton’s outstanding gesture has motivated major companies like Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the Walmart Foundation to work around the clock with local leaders and relief organizations to assess needs and promptly deliver critical aid to the affected communities across the area, including essential resources like charging stations, food and hot meals, water distributions, showers, and laundry in Walmart parking lots in Newport, Elizabethton, and Greeneville.
In their statement, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the Walmart Foundation announced that they would stand with Dolly and increase their commitment to Hurricane Helene relief efforts to $10 million. As part of this increased commitment, Walmart and Sam’s Club launched a nationwide campaign to match customer and member donations to the American Red Cross 1:1 up to $2.5 million.
If you want to join Dolly Parton in helping support relief and recovery efforts in East Tennessee, Western North Carolina & the greater Appalachian region, you can click here to learn more about the Mountain Ways Foundation’s mission and donate to support their cause.