Dolly Parton had just walked off stage with Miley Cyrus on NBC's The Voice on a Wednesday late last month when she was given the news: The Smoky Mountains were burning. The ones she grew up in and still calls home, where her brothers and sisters live, that surround her Dollywood theme park - were on fire.
"My first thought was my family," Parton said, her voice breaking with emotion. "Just my family, that's always your first thought. It was so scary." Once assured her relatives were safe, Parton set to work on an effort that she was singularly equipped to carry out: mobilizing country music for a fundraising telethon that raised millions of dollars for victims of the devastating Sevier County wildfires - all in a matter of days. According to USA Today, Parton set a lofty goal of giving $1,000 to every family that has lost their primary residence through the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund.
"It doesn't sound like a lot of money but we're talking about thousands of people, hundreds and hundreds of people," Parton said Tuesday. "If we could give $1,000 a month for six months, that would give people a chance. And if we raise more money than we hope to, then we'll just do more."
Fox news says that some of her famous friends also stepped up to help before the telethon even began, with large donations from Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Parton said she feels a kinship to all the hard-working mountain people who have lost so much around her.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
