Dolly Parton and Walmart are teaming up to make a major donation to Tennessee flood victims

Dolly Parton's major charity has arrived to help Americans affected by Hurricane Helene.

The Sevierville, Tennessee, native announced a partnership with Walmart to help with relief efforts after the storm killed hundreds and left millions of homes and businesses without power across Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Parton announced a $1 million donation to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing immediate relief to flood victims of Hurricane Helene. In addition, Parton's East Tennessee companies – Dollywood Parks & Resorts, Dolly Parton's Stampede and Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show – as well as the Dollywood Foundation are combining their efforts and have pledged to match their donation to Mountain Ways with their own contribution of $1 million to supplement.

Parton announced her charity partnership at the Walmart Supercenter at Newport Town Center in Newport, Tennessee.

“I just want you to know that I am fully with you because I am a part of you. I love you,” Parton told a crowd of more than 250 community members gathered in the parking lot. “I look around and think, these are my mountains, these are my valleys, these are my rivers that flow like a stream. These are my people. These mountain-colored rainbows, these are my people, and this is my home.”

Parton said she couldn't believe the devastation Helene caused in the area where she grew up, recalling going to the dentist as a child in Newport.

“Helene, Helene, Helene, you came in here and tore us all apart,” Parton sang in a rendition of her classic “Jolene.” “Helene, Helene, Helene, we are all here to heal these broken hearts.”

During the event, Walmart President and CEO John Furner announced that the company, including Sam's Club and the Walmart Foundation, is increasing its previous commitment of $6 million to a $10 million donation for hurricane relief efforts in will increase in the affected states.

“One of the things we love most about Dolly as a partner is her incredible heart and care for her community,” Furner said. “She reminds me of our people who are always the first to step in when our communities need us. This time is no different and we will continue to provide support until they recover.”

Newport Walmart store manager Matthew Underwood has seen his team and community come together during Helene's recovery. He is grateful for the support of Furner and Parton.

“I was in the military and experienced servant leadership. I’ve seen leaders talk about servant leadership, but they do it at their level,” Underwood said of Furner and Parton. “I think it's a great opportunity for them to use their voice and use their influence to be able to push this through. Shine together and just be so impactful.”

A week ago, downtown Newport was evacuated after the Nolichucky Dam was determined to be at risk of a “catastrophic” failure, although authorities later determined it was a false alarm.

Road Conditions in Tennessee:Expect a lot more traffic on Tennessee highways for up to a year, even in places undamaged by Helene

More Dollywood posts

Dollywood's $1 million donation will benefit the Mountain Ways Foundation's flood relief efforts. Dollywood President Eugene Naughton quickly responded and partnered with the organization.

“They are active and already making a difference in Tennessee. So it made perfect sense to me. No time to wait six months to start a new nonprofit,” he told Knox News. “They feed about 2,000 people a day, and I felt like we could scale it up and really get to work under their nonprofit umbrella.”

Dollywood's contributions complement its existing collaboration with its sponsorship partner Coca-Cola to donate a semi-truck full of water for distribution in Cocke County, Tennessee. Additionally, Dollywood donated 60,000 reusable masks, 30,000 disposable protective clothing and 2.5 million disposable masks to cleanup efforts throughout East Tennessee. Disposable serving dishes and utensils were also donated for the thousands of meals Mountain Ways distributes.

In collaboration with donation centers established by the City of Pigeon Forge, Dollywood Theme Park will also become a donation drop-off point for those wishing to provide items for the cleanup effort, including buckets with lids, tarps, shovels, rakes, trash bags, etc. Work gloves, masks, cleaning wipes , diapers, baby food and formula, can openers, first aid supplies, personal hygiene items, cat litter, new socks and underwear, clean towels and blankets, laundry detergent, pet food and hand sanitizer. Items can be donated at the designated drop-off point in the park entrance area.

“This beautiful region that we all love is facing an extreme challenge,” Naughton said. “And while it may be quite daunting at the moment, we know that the spirit of the people of this region will help them overcome what lies ahead in the days ahead.”

Following Parton's lead and leading with the heart, Dollywood previously launched a new program called “Love Shares.” The program will strengthen the company's community engagement and philanthropic work, Naughton said.

Tennessee Helene's victim:How to Find Natural Disaster Help for Bills, Mortgage, and More

How is Parton's Dollywood home of Pigeon Forge doing?

According to the Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce, Pigeon Forge experienced minimal flooding due to Hurricane Helene. Sevier County spokesman Tyler Basler reported there were no significant problems on county roads.

The nearby Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau reported that Hurricane Helene had no impact on area businesses.

However, portions of Interstates 26 and 40 are closed, as are other regional road closures closer to the North Carolina border in East Tennessee.

East Tennessee to Helene

President Joe Biden approved federal disaster assistance for Carter, Johnson and Unicoi counties in Tennessee to supplement response efforts due to damage in Helene that led to emergency situations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced.

Direct federal assistance and reimbursements for evacuation and shelter assistance are also available for Cocke, Hawkins and Washington Counties.

This follows Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signing an executive order requiring FEMA to issue a major disaster declaration for property damage victims and evacuation orders related to severe weather and flooding.

FEMA is authorized to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and provide appropriate assistance to save lives and protect property.

We are open:What Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge want visitors to Helene to know

Parton's notable recent charitable donation

Dolly Parton has a long history of success, including through the Dollywood Foundation and the Imagination Library. In recent years, she has contributed to relief efforts in Tennessee following natural disasters.

“I just go where my heart takes me,” Parton told Knox News earlier this year when discussing her generosity. “When I feel the need to do something, when I feel that certain tugging and I know I should do this or that, then I just go.”

The My People Fund, through the Dollywood Foundation, donated more than $12 million to recovery efforts following the wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in 2016. The fund provided monthly checks of $1,000 to $10,000 to displaced families for six months out of; The remainder was donated to other forest firefighting causes. Much of the money was collected as part of a fundraising campaign for those affected.

In April 2020, Parton's million-dollar donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center ultimately helped fund Moderna's production of a coronavirus vaccine.

Parton donated $700,000 to United Way of Humphreys County to help residents affected by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee in 2021.

More ways to help those affected by flooding in East Tennessee

Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, says donating money to reputable organizations is one of the best ways to help people affected by flooding get what they need.

Organizations to consider:

You can view the full list of Knoxville area organizations, groups and businesses accepting donations Here.

Devarrick Turner is a hot news reporter. e-mail [email protected]. He is on X, formerly known as Twitter@dturner1208.

Dolly Parton and Walmart are teaming up to make a major donation to Tennessee flood victims

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