Country music star Dolly Parton has teamed up with Walmart and Sam’s Club to provide financial help to communities affected by the damage from Hurricane Helene.
At a press event in Newport, Tennessee, on October 4, Parton announced that she is personally donating $1 million for Hurricane Helene relief. Her businesses in Tennessee are matching that amount, bringing the total donation to $2 million for recovery efforts.
Dolly said, “These are special people here; they’re my people. I feel like all people are my people, but everyone here grew up in the mountains just like I did, so of course I have a close connection to them. I can’t stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods.”
Parton’s donation, along with contributions from her businesses—Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, and Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show—will go to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit that helps people affected by the severe floods in East Tennessee. Dolly’s support doesn’t just include money; Dollywood is also working with Coca-Cola to provide water supplies. Additionally, Dollywood is serving as a drop-off spot for essential recovery items like buckets, tarps, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene products.
At the same event, John Furner, the President and CEO of Walmart U.S., announced a $10 million donation for hurricane recovery efforts in Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.
Furner said, “These aren’t just places where we have stores. These are communities where we work and live, and our hearts are broken for our friends and neighbors. This is one of the most widespread and destructive storms I’ve seen in my 31 years with Walmart.”
Hurricane Helene caused major destruction when it hit Appalachia and the Southeast. Over 200 people have died, making it one of the deadliest storms in the U.S. this century. Millions of homes and businesses lost power, and severe flooding destroyed hundreds of roads and bridges.
At the Newport event, Dolly Parton spoke about how hard this disaster has been on the communities affected and showed her support for those struggling.
She said, “I know it’s easy for us to say, ‘Oh, things are going to get better’ when things are still really bad. All we can say is that ‘We are with you, we love you. We hope that things get better real soon and we’re going to do our part to try to make that possible.’”
The damage from Hurricane Helene has left many communities in the Southeast facing serious challenges. Towns, especially in Eastern Tennessee, are still dealing with the aftermath, with homes underwater and businesses closed. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with different organizations helping to provide food, shelter, and medical care to those in need.