The vocalist besides took a infinitesimal to sing 'Helene, Helene' to the tune of her deed opus 'Jolene.' (AP photo)
Music fable Dolly Parton has announced a idiosyncratic donation of $1 cardinal to assistance betterment efforts successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Speaking astatine a property league successful her location authorities of Tennessee, the 78-year-old prima shared that the donation volition travel “from my ain slope account,” and her concern ventures, including Dollywood, volition lucifer the contribution.
Hurricane Helene, the deadliest mainland tempest since Hurricane Katrina successful 2005, has claimed astatine slightest 225 lives crossed respective southeastern states, including North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The storm, which made landfall arsenic a Category 4 hurricane successful precocious September, caused wide destruction, leaving fractional a cardinal homes without powerfulness and starring to flash floods that person devastated communities.
“This is my home,” Parton said astatine the lawsuit successful Newport, Tennessee. “God has been bully to me, and truthful has the public. If there’s thing I tin bash to springiness back, I’m ever willing. I privation to consciousness similar I’m doing my part.”
In summation to her idiosyncratic donation, Parton’s Dollywood taxable parkland and related businesses volition lend different $1 cardinal to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit moving to assistance those affected by the flooding. Walmart besides announced it would summation its betterment money publication to $10 million, with CEO John Furner praising Parton arsenic “a existent American legend” for her charitable efforts.
Parton, visibly moved, spoke astir the devastation the hurricane has caused and offered words of anticipation to victims: “We are with you, we emotion you, and we anticipation things get amended existent soon.”
(With inputs from BBC)