America got a collective punch in the gut Tuesday afternoon after learning of the truly sad passing of country music legend Dolly Parton. Millions who never met her felt like they had lost a member of their own family.
One of the things we loved about Dolly the most was the fact that she was forever a Smoky Mountain girl, always remembering where she came from. Much of her charitable work was well known. But a lot of it was not.
"Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you." - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/ZPf8IzybNe
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 25, 2026
In 1988, Dolly visited a group of 7th and 8th graders in Sevier County, Tennessee, and told them to "pick a buddy." If they both graduated from high school, they would receive $500. The high school dropout rate went from 35 percent to six percent. This was the beginning of the Dollywood Foundation. Dolly personally delivered the checks.
READ MORE: Breaking: Legendary Dolly Parton Dead at 80
In 2016, when devastating wildfires hit the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area of the Smokies, the place where Dolly grew up, her My People's Fund handed out $1,000 a month to 900 families, regardless of their income, for six months. Dollywood Foundation CEO David Dotson recalled how Dolly referred to her love of the area, “Her hometown means so much to her. She always calls it her Smoky Mountain DNA.” Dolly later brought 875 families another $5,000 each and, along with the Mountain Tough Organization, pledged to fund the effort for another three years to the tune of nearly $3 million.
In 2010, the LeConte Medical Center opened in Sevierville, Tennessee. Thanks to a benefit concert from Dolly and matching funds from Dollywood and the Stampede, women had a state-of-the-art facility to deliver their babies, and the Dolly Parton Center for Women's Services offers services like mammograms, biopsies, and bone density exams. The Medical Center includes a 123-bed hospital and four expanded surgical suites.
In 2022, Dollywood began covering 100 percent of tuitions, books, and fees for both full and part-time Dollywood employees. In 1991, a partnership between Dollywood and the American Eagle Foundation provided a 50-acre sanctuary for Bald Eagles in Kodak, Tennessee, after a facility at Dollywood housing the birds was damaged in a storm.
Dolly Parton rose from a humble one-room cabin in the Tennessee mountains and became an American icon. Truly one of a kind. She spent her life trying to share light and love with everyone. May the warmth of God’s love surround her 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Lnwi9BHnVS
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) August 25, 2026
After parts of Tennessee and North Carolina were hit by Hurricane Helene in 2024, Dolly donated $1 million to communities in the regions that were hardest hit. Even though Dolly wasn't from North Carolina, she made sure every North Carolinian affected had what they needed.
ALSO READ: 'Absolute Legend': Tributes Pour in After the Passing of the Irrepressible Dolly Parton
But maybe Dolly's greatest legacy will be the Imagination Library. Dolly's father, Robert, raised 12 children, but could not read or write. But Dolly called him "the smartest man" she knew. He was the inspiration for the library, and before he died, he told Dolly it was “probably the most important thing (she) had ever done.”
Dolly Parton was a walking example of the American Dream. She was born into poverty in the hills of Eastern Tennessee and became a legend. She was never afraid of hard work, and that fearlessness certainly paid off.
Someone on social media commented that "the world is a little less glittery today." That's for sure. You rest, Dolly; we will take care of the Great Smoky Mountains for you from here.
So Sad… We have lost a true icon. Dolly was kind, had immeasurable serious talents and yet could joke about herself joyously. A ray of sunshine is gone. Thank you Dolly. pic.twitter.com/27EOxUyQb4
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) August 25, 2026
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