Dolly Parton, the greatest gift to country music in the 20th century, has delivered the light of a clear blue morning to families affected by fire. Yesterday, the singer announced she's raised more than $9 million for families affected by the wild fires that ravaged Tennessee's Smokey Mountains last year.
These mountains serve as Parton's home and have been prominent throughout her career, which now spans more than 50 years. After the fires, Parton made a promise to offer the families affected $1,000 cash every month to allow them to slowly rebuild their lives. As of now, Parton's My People Fund has cut checks to 921 families every week throughout the past few months.
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"I have always believed that charity begins at home," Parton said. "We want to provide a hand up to all those families that have lost everything in the fires."
We always knew there was a reason Parton's hair reached toward the heavens. To support the families of Tennessee's Smokey Mountains, donate here.