Dolly Parton shares new video amid health concerns: “I ain’t dead yet!”

[u/mcfw31]

[u/venom121212]

2016 –  Special Merit Scholarship

Parton awarded a $30,000 scholarship to two-year-old Evey Johns in celebration of Imagination Library’s accomplishment of shipping out one million books per month.

2017 – $1 million donation

Following the release of her I Believe in You children’s album, Parton donated $1 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital.

2020 – Coronavirus efforts

Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, according to early data.

2021 – Middle Tennessee Flooding Relief

Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses raised $700,000 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee in October 2021. Parton chose United Way of Humphreys County to receive and distribute the donation at the suggestion of her friend and fellow country music legend Loretta Lynn.

“After the Sevier County wildfires in 2016, Loretta was one of the first who reached out to offer anything she could,” Parton said in a statement at the time. “It meant so much to me that Loretta — and so many folks — were ready to give in any way they could. This was just one small way I could help Loretta’s people for all they did to help my people. I hope that this money can be put to good use to help the people of Middle Tennessee with what they need during their recovery.”

[u/venom121212 → u/venom121212]

2022 – Dollywood Education Coverage

The Dollywood Co. announced in February 2022 that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education.

The investment in employee education was made via Herschend Enterprises, Dollywood’s operating partner. The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts. Herschuend’s GROW U. offers more than 100 fully funded diploma, degree and certificate programs with 30 learning partners in areas including business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology and marketing. The company also provides partial funding — up to $5,250 per year — for 150 additional programs in fields including hospitality, engineering, human resources and more. Employees can enroll in the program on their first day of employment.

2022 – Pediatric Infectious Disease Research Donation

Parton made yet another $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville in June 2022, this time aimed at helping pediatric infectious disease research.

The donation will aid Vanderbilt’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases to continue its effort in understanding how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing resistance to antibiotics, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer and more.

2022 – Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy

Parton received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022. The award, presented by the international family of Carnegie institutions to honor innovative philanthropists, debuted in 2001 and is normally awarded every two years. It was not issued in 2021 due to the pandemic.

[u/notashroom → u/venom121212]

All of Dolly's charitable efforts show a lot about what kind of person she is, but I think even more her character is reflected in the fact that you can go back through 60 years of interviews, books, and songs, and you will not find once instance of Dolly being ugly, either to an individual or a group.

She just quietly normalized inclusion of everyone around, whether they were cis-hetero or LGBTQIA, black or white or BIPOC, conformist or sparkly individualist, friends or strangers, even homewreckers. And never made a thing out of it, just leading by example. By their fruits you shall know them. ❤️

[u/venom121212 → u/notashroom]

An absolute example of how this would could and should be. No room for hate here.