Parton donated $1 million to Appalachian relief after Helene
Dolly Parton, the country music legend and multimillionaire businesswoman, died Tuesday at age 80, the Associated Press reported. Fans told the AP her philanthropic giving would remain part of Parton’s legacy.
Weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the American South in 2024, Parton stood on a stage in her native Tennessee in her iconic blonde wig, the AP reported, with a song on her lips for the flood-ravaged community. She sang to the tune of her classic song “Jolene,” telling the crowd that “we’re all here to mend these broken hearts.”
At that same appearance, Parton announced a $1 million donation to an Appalachian relief nonprofit. Her Dollywood companies and their partners matched the contribution, the AP reported.
The AP wrote that standing on that stage and promising to mend broken hearts meant, for Parton, “using her wealth for good.” The wire service described the Helene relief appearance as “one of the enduring images of the charismatic humanitarian.”
The AP also wrote that Parton’s “good humor and straightforward generosity” lifted the well-being of communities in her home state and beyond.
Fans across generations and geographies told the AP that her philanthropic giving would remain part of Parton’s legacy.