Queen of Country and Doer of Good . . . that’s Dolly Parton in a nutshell.
When wildfires devastated Sevier County in East Tennessee in November 2016, Dolly was quick to act. In an effort to raise funds for the families affected, Dolly held a telethon—Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund—on December 13. The telethon raised millions of dollars for Dolly’s My People Fund, which began distributing checks in the amount of $1,000 each month to 884 families whose primary residences were completely destroyed due to the fires.
But that’s not all. Thanks to fundraising efforts, Dolly was able to provide each family with an extra $5,000 this month, which brings the total assistance to $10,000.
“The My People Fund has been a great success,” said Dolly. “I want to thank my team, the Dollywood Foundation, my friends in the music business and the thousands of people from all over the country who opened both their pocketbooks and their hearts to help us.
“Over the last five months, we’ve given nearly 900 families $5,000 to help them recover. Yesterday, we had our last distribution and I went over to The LeConte Center to say thanks to all the volunteers and to help give out a few checks myself. We matched what they’ve received already with another $5,000 check. I know $10,000 can’t solve everything, but I do hope the money will help them to dream again.”
In addition to providing initial monetary support to displaced families through the monthly check distribution, the remaining funds from the My People Fund will continue to help the people of Sevier County. At least $3 million will be contributed to the Mountain Tough Recovery Team, which will serve the continuing needs of residents during the critical rebuilding period ahead. This program will begin helping families on June 1.
“We’re still receiving money, so we aren’t finished yet,” Dolly added. “Recovery will take some time, so a new organization—called Mountain Tough—has been created to help our people get back on their feet for the next three years. We’re giving at least $3 million to help this new organization begin the next chapter of our journey.”
Check out the photo gallery below that features Dolly and some of the families that received assistance.
