Dolly Parton Donates $1 Million to Hurricane Helene Relief: ‘With God’s Help, We’ll Make It’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Country icon and Appalachian native Dolly Parton has donated $1 million to aid in Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
“We’re all here to mend these broken hearts, and that’s what I’m doing here,” Parton said at a press conference. “So, I really, really wish that we were all together for another reason. But we all have seen the devastation. I mean, who knew in our little part of the country here where I was born, raised just right down the road, that we would have this kind of devastation?”
She continued, “I look around, and I think these are my mountains, these are my valleys. These are my rivers flowing like a stream. These are my people, these mountain-colored rainbows. These are my people. And this is my home.”
“I know it’s easy for us to say, ‘Oh, things are going to get better’ when things are still really bad,” Parton concluded. “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. We love you, and we appreciate you. And we thank you. And I think that with God’s help and all the help of all these good people, we’ll make it.”
Parton announced that her donation will go to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit that is providing immediate assistance to Hurricane Helene’s victims.
At the press conference, Parton was joined by Walmart CEO John Furner, who pledged that the company would donate $10 million to relief efforts.
“Parton’s associated businesses, including Dollywood Parks & Resorts and The Dollywood Foundation, also announced they would match Parton’s donation with another $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation,” CBS News reported.
The Appalachian area has been devastated by the effects of Hurricane Helene, with CNN reporting that it was “the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the US mainland in the past 50 years behind Hurricane Katrina 19 years ago,” with a death toll of over 200.
Movieguide® previously reported on DUCK DYNASTY’s Robertson family’s prayer for those affected by the hurricane:
The Robertsons shared information about organizations that are providing aid for those affected by the storm, including Swannanoa Church, One Kingdom and Samaritan’s Purse.
The National Guard has also been sent to the area, conducting search-and-rescue missions, clearing roads and transporting supplies.
“Our priority has been to rapidly deploy to the affected areas and assist emergency responders with rescue operations,” Maj. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s adjutant general, said in a statement. “We are working with local emergency management agencies through TEMA by providing forces and support wherever needed. Our Guardsmen are prepared to help with relief efforts for as long as we are needed to ensure the safety of our fellow Tennesseans.”
Phil Robertson then shared a prayer for the victims of Hurricane Helene.
“Father, many have been caught up in there and lost their lives,” he prayed. “We just pray, Father, that You’d have mercy on us all…Help us, Father, keep our faith in You and Your greatness, and we thank You for hearing our plea.”
He continued, “We love You in spite of all this. We know it’s not Your doing. It’s just the way it is. So help us go through this, Father. Help us to love You and love each other, because this is a great test of whether we love one another or not. We love you. In the name of Jesus, amen.”