Dolly Parton - Women's History Month - 18

 

Dolly Parton is an undisputed legend for her contributions to music. 

Parton has long been a philanthropist, but she does so with little publicity or fanfare. This is why many people may not realize her incredible contributions, particularly to Sevier County—the poverty-stricken part of Tennessee where she grew up.

Here is just a sampling of some ways that Parton has been helping make the world a better place, and doing so without expecting anything in return.

She is also just an all-around beloved figure for the quiet way she gives back, particularly to her own community in East Tennessee.

Often donating funds with little or no fanfare, Dolly Parton—who grew up in poverty—always knew she'd give back if she became a success.

Here are just some of the ways that Dolly Parton makes her community and the world a better place.

PAYING FOR STUDENTS’ BAND OR CHOIR UNIFORMS AT PREDOMINANTLY BLACK SCHOOLS

GIVING FREE BOOKS TO KIDS

One of Parton's most well-known projects is her Imagination Library. Run through her non-profit, the Dollywood Foundation, the initiative was started in 1995 to increase literacy in Sevier County. Every child, regardless of income, was mailed an age-appropriate book each month until they reached the age of 5.

INCENTIVIZING KIDS TO FINISH HIGH SCHOOL.

In the early 1990s, Parton discovered that the high school dropout rate in Sevier County was over 30%. She astutely realized that the lack of education was not only impacting the individual lives of local youth, but also making it difficult for the county to prosper. So, she started The Buddy Program, which targeted students in 7th and 8th grade. Parton met personally with the students to explain the program. It was very simple: the students needed to pair up. If both they and their partner graduated high school, Parton would hand each of them a check for $500. In addition, both partners had to sign a contract that they would be each other's support system and do everything they could to help each other graduate.

The program was a rousing success and soon the dropout rate plummeted to under 6%.

OFFERING FREE COLLEGE TUITION FOR ALL DOLLYWOOD EMPLOYEES

Since it opened in 1986, the Dollywood theme park has been a source of tourism and employment in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Three million people visit the theme park annually, making it the state's biggest tourist attraction. In 2022, parent company Herschend Enterprises announced that all 11,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees of Dollywood and the company's other ventures who wanted to pursue higher education would have their fees paid for.

SUPPORTING VICTIMS OF THE GATLINBURG FIRE

In 2016, a complex series of wildfires spread through the Smoky Mountains, greatly impating the towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. 

Through the My People Fund, about 900 families received $1,000 a month for 6 months. In the final month, the support was raised to $5,000 due to incoming donations that the foundation had received. And if that weren't enough, they also opened the Mountain Tough organization to assist in home site cleanups and provide a helping hand to those in need on a case-by-case basis. In total, $12.5 million from the foundation went to people in the county impacted by the fire.

USING SONG ROYALTIES TO REBUILD A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD

Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You is one of the most recognizable songs of all time. But not everyone realizes that the song was written—and originally performed—by Parton. Though the song was already a #1 hit for Parton, it really skyrocketed to success after Houston's iconic 1992 rendition. As the songwriter, Parton earned royalties from the ballad and it's estimated that just in the 1990s alone she earned $10 million from the single.

So what did she do with all of the money? During a 2021 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Parton divulged that she'd invested the money in a strip mall located in a predominantly Black part of Nashville.

“It was just off the beaten path from 16th Avenue and I thought, ‘Well I am going to buy this place, the whole strip mall.’ And thought, ‘This is the perfect place for me to be,’ considering it was Whitney. I just thought, ‘This was great. I’m just going to be down here with her people who are my people as well. And so I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex and I think, ‘This is the house that Whitney built.’”

HELPING SAVE THE BALD EAGLE

Since 1990, Dollywood has been home to an eagle sanctuary, which is run in partnership with the American Eagle Foundation.

In 2003, she was given a Partnership Award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for her efforts in saving the bald eagle.

SOURCE: My Modern Met "7 Ways Country Legend Dolly Parton Quietly Gives Back to Make the World a Better Place" By Jessica Stewart on October 12, 2022

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I was glad to see a statue of Dolly in front of the Sevier County Courthouse when I visited Sevierville TN a few years ago. It may have been her look when she first started, but we all know she looks more like the following photos!