Dolly Parton’s death at the age of 80 on Tuesday marked the loss of an American country music legend.
But, it also marked the loss of a major philanthropist. Parton, who grew up in extreme poverty in East Tennessee, has spent decades donating millions to charitable causes that range from early education to healthcare.
Education
In 1988, Parton launched the Dollywood Foundation in Sevier County, Tenn., her home county, with the goal of improving the high school graduation rate. Two years later, she launched the Buddy Program, which promised $500 to every Sevier County seventh and eighth grader who graduated from high school. Parton also offered a $500 scholarship to every Sevier County graduating senior that wished to attend Hiawassee College, and later developed the “Dolly Parton” scholarship which offers $15,000 to five seniors from Sevier County.
In 1995, Parton started the Imagination Library. Inspired by her father’s illiteracy, the program mails free books every month to children under the age of five. While it began in East Tennessee, it has since expanded to include all 50 states and five countries total. Since its launch, the Imagination Library has donated more than 300 million books.
“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done,” Parton wrote in a statement on the program website. “He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams. Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission.”
Healthcare
The country music star played an important role in the development of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Parton donated $1 million in honor of her friend Dr. Naji Abumrad — whose son, Jad Abumrad, went on to host the WNYC podcast “Dolly Parton’s America” about her life and cultural impact. The $1 million donation funded critical early stages of the vaccine, which eventually saw $1 billion worth of investment from the federal government.
In March of 2021, the singer then received a dose of the vaccine. She documented the experience in a social media post, singing “vaccine, vaccine,” to the tune of her song, “Jolene,” and encouraging others to get vaccinated.
The Moderna contribution was not Parton’s first VUMC donation. Years earlier, she had donated $1 million to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia there in the 1990s. And, in 2022, she also gave another $1 million for pediatric infectious disease research.
Parton also invested in healthcare in East Tennessee. She hosted a benefit concert for the construction of LeConte Medical Center in Sevier County, where she also made an additional donation. The hospital now features a “Dolly Parton Birthing Unit.”
Natural Disasters
Parton had a long history of supporting East Tennessee in the aftermath of natural disasters.
In 2016, she launched the My People Fund to benefit families affected by wildfires in Sevier County. To garner support, Parton hosted the “Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund” telethon— a celebrity-studded broadcast that ultimately raised upwards of $9 million.
Five years later, Parton raised $700,000 after catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee, and distributed dollars through United Way of Humphreys County. Following Hurricane Helene, Parton donated $1 million personal dollars to the Mountain Ways Foundation to support those impacted across East Tennessee and Appalachia. The Dollywood Foundation contributed an additional $1 million.
Dollywood
While Dollywood, the Pigeon Forge amusement park, is a business venture, the investment has been a catalyst for the rural county’s economy.
The theme park has become the state’s top attraction, hosting more than three million visitors every year and generating more than $220 million in state and local taxes. The company also covers 100% of tuition and fees for employees pursuing higher education at certain partner universities.
“The greatest privilege of my life has been helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood,” Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts president, said in a statement. “While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.”
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