LOS ANGELES — Actress-singer Dolly Parton has swung into action with regards to her social responsibilities. The actress-singer has pledged a $1 million donation to help Hurricane Helene victims after her home state of Tennessee was one of the six states affected.
She travelled to a Walmart in Newport, in Tennessee to announce that she and her East Tennessee businesses partnered with the retailer to help aid those affected, reports ‘People’ magazine.
In addition to Walmart increasing its commitment of $6 million to a $10 million donation to hurricane relief efforts, Parton will now donate $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation. According to its website, the foundation is "committed to providing ongoing disaster relief, coordinating efforts with local organisations and officials to ensure that essential resources reach the most affected areas efficiently”.
As per ‘People’, the music legend's $1 million donation will be matched by her East Tennessee businesses, including Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show, and the Dollywood Foundation.
"I really, really wish that we were all together for another reason, but we all have seen the devastation", said Parton during a press conference.
"I mean who knew in our little part of the country here, where I was born and raised just right down the road, that we would have this kind of devastation? And I look around, and I think: These are my mountains. These are my valleys", the singer continued. "These are my rivers flowing like a stream. These are my people. These mountain coloured rainbows. These are my people and this is my home”.
In addition to Tennessee, Hurricane Helene affected residents in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia, with the death toll rising to over 200.
Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction and fatalities across the Southeastern United States. It was the strongest hurricane on record to strike the Big Bend region of Florida, the deadliest for the United States since 2017, and the deadliest in the mainland US since 2005.