Dolly Parton Foundation to Donate $1,000 a Month to Tennessee Families After Wildfires
Starting Friday, you can also contribute to Dolly's new My People Fund.
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood companies and foundation will give $1,000 per month to Tennessee families who lost their homes in this week’s wildfires, the country music icon announced Wednesday in a video statement.
Parton’s theme park Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee didn’t sustain any damage from the fires that devastated much of the Sevier County area and killed at least seven people early this week. But for Parton, who grew up in Sevier County, the waste laid by the wildfires is personal.
“I’ve always believed that charity begins at home,” Parton said, explaining that her theme park, resort and restaurant companies are partnering with the Dollywood Foundation to create the My People Fund. “We want to provide a hand up to all those families who have lost everything in the fires.”
“I know it’s been a trying time for my people, and this assistance will help,” she added.
Starting Friday, anyone can donate to the My People Fund through the Dollywood Foundation.
Watch her announcement below:
Parton’s announcement comes one day after the NBC premiere of Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Life. The Christmas movie was a sequel to last year’s Coat of Many Colors. Inspired by true events, the movies follow a young Dolly Parton and her family through life’s adventures and trials.
NBC’s premier of the original movie in 2015 garnered nearly 13 million viewers. As expected, fewer people tuned into the sequel on Wednesday, though Christmas of Many Colors still attracted an average of 11.5 million viewers, leading NBC’s Empire in total viewers by almost 4 million, Variety reported.
Prior to the premier, Tennessee local NBC affiliate WBIR ran wildfire relief effort “Smokies Strong” to benefit the American Red Cross of East Tennessee, followed by a preview of Christmas of Many Colors.
“Christmas of Many Colors shows a family’s strength through overcoming hardships and their resilience to survive,” a WBIR article stated. “That strong faith is what Dolly and all of Sevier County want to focus on right now. It binds us all during times of tragedy.”
Parton also appeared on Tuesday night’s The Voice episode. Watch her “Jolene” performance with Miley Cyrus and Pentatonix and her “Circle of Love” performance with Coat and Christmas co-star and country singer Jennifer Nettles and the top 10 contestants on The Voice.