Dolly Parton donates millions to Hurricane Helene relief efforts

Dolly Parton has announced she will personally donate a seven-figure sum to Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

The country star made the announcement at an event at Walmart in Newport, Tennessee.

“These are special people here; they’re my people,” she said. “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.”

She continued, “And so I really think that this is a time for me to step up again for all of us to step up and do what we can. Today, I wanted to announce that from myself personally, just from my own bank account, I’m donating a million dollars today, but there’s a lot to be done, and we’re trying to find other ways to even raise more funds.”

The $1 million will be given to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that is providing immediate assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims.

The 78-year-old, who grew up in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, has often sung about her childhood home, with tracks such as Smoky Mountain Memories and My Tennessee Mountain Home becoming hits.

She said that she hoped her donations would encourage others to donate and help out with the relief efforts.

“I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbours – even strangers – during this dark time they are experiencing,” she said.

At least 225 people have been confirmed dead after the hurricane swept through the South East of the United States, with the death toll expected to rise.

—Reuters