8 Times Dolly Parton Showed She Is A Saint
This legend prioritizes making the world a better place, and Dolly Parton is certainly among them.
Dolly Parton knows that she can’t take her wealth with her. Therefore, she spends most of her time and money on charities and has even created a bunch of her own charitable foundations. Here are some highlights that show that this country singer is a saint.
8 The Dollywood Foundation
The establishment of the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 was the start of many philanthropic adventures that Dolly Parton would lead. This foundation is named after her theme park, Dollywood, which is in Tennessee. She established this foundation to help as many children as possible achieve academic success.
7 The Buddy Program
Dolly Parton established the Buddy Program in the late 80s, shortly after establishing the Dollywood Foundation. Maintaining the focus of helping students achieve academic success, the Buddy Program focused on helping students in her hometown graduate. She told middle school students to “buddy-up” with another student, and she would reward them with a scholarship if they both graduated. This initiative drastically increased the graduation rate in her hometown.
6 $500 Scholarships For High Schoolers
In a further effort to help students in Sevier County, Tennessee, Dolly’s hometown, graduate, she offered a $500 scholarship to any student that wished to attend the local university after high school. This helped boost graduation rates as well as increase college attendance compared to previous years in this county.
5 Eagle Mountain Sanctuary
Dolly Parton wants to help the world in as many ways as possible. At her theme park, Dollywood, Parton established the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary in 1991. It is managed by the American Eagle Foundation and houses many bald eagles. She wanted to provide protection for the endangered eagle species as a way to honor her country and help make the world a better place.
4 The Imagination Library
This foundation was established by Dolly Parton in the mid-90s. Its main goal is to provide books and reading materials to children before they start school, for free. Parton started this non-profit organization as a tribute to her father who never learned to read.
3 The Dolly Parton Scholarship
To further help graduating students in Sevier County, Dolly Parton started giving the Dolly Parton Scholarship in the early 2000s. Every year, fifteen graduating seniors receive $15,000 for their college pursuits. Dolly aims to give as many students as she can the opportunity for a successful college education.
2 Chasing Rainbows Award
Dolly Parton’s support of education does not end with the students. The Dollywood Foundation presents the Chasing Rainbows Award to exceptional teachers across the country. Along with the recognition, the winner gets to visit Dollywood as Dolly Parton’s special guest.
1 $1 Million Donation To A Children’s Hospital
As if Dolly Parton had not already helped so many people in her life, she donated a million dollars to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in 2017. She wants to use her wealth to help people while she is still alive. She made this donation to honor her own niece who was treated at this hospital.
