“I am part of you”

NEWPORT, Tenn. (WVLT) – Dolly Parton made a stop in Newport on Friday, a week after it and many other areas of East Tennessee were hit by massive flooding as a result of Hurricane Helene.

She was there with Walmart in part to announce a significant donation to the community in hopes of giving back to the people “who treat her so well.”

Previous coverage: “Cocke County is my home” | The Pigeon Forge police officer's close ties to Newport are motivating the relief effort

“Who would have thought that there would be such devastation in this small part of the country where I was born and raised,” she said. “I am completely with you because I am part of you.”

Dolly announced that she plans to donate $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers assistance to Helene victims. This contribution is supplemented by her East Tennessee businesses, including the Dollywood Foundation.

For Dolly, the efforts are personal. WVLT's Kyle Grainger asked her why:

“It’s personal because I have a lot of my own relatives here,” she said. “It was devastating, not just for my own people here, but for everyone.”

In addition to the monetary donations, Dolly announced other ways she and her companies plan to help.

Dollywood partnered with Coca-Cola to donate a semi-truck full of water to Cocke County, and the theme park also donated millions of masks and disposable protective clothing to help with the cleanup effort.

“You’re never prepared, you just try to improve,” she said. “God has been good to me and so has the public, so I want to feel like I’m doing my part.”

Additionally, Dolly announced that Dollywood itself will become a donation center for those who wish to donate. You can find a list of the required items here.

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