Dolly Parton may be one of the silent angels guiding us through this pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccine is now near reality all thanks to the scientists and volunteers who work night and day towards its research and success. However, behind the scenes, some people make these scientists’ work easier. One of these philanthropists is a famous Hollywood singer and actress, Dolly Parton. How exactly could a Hollywood star contribute to one of the most important researches of modern history?
For the COVID-19 Movement
A $1M Donation
Dolly Parton reached headlines after people found out that she donated a total of one million US Dollars to the Moderna vaccine research. For any vaccine research to claim success, considerable funding is required. The demand for the COVID-19 vaccine is high. With the current conditions of the pandemic, people need it ASAP.
Greater news still, is that Moderna has released an update that their vaccine is almost 95% effective for its third phase. Many pharmaceutical companies in the world are currently in the race to find the first effective vaccine for the coronavirus infection. The Moderna update is very welcome news. More importantly now that many places in the world are experiencing a much more severe second wave.
Goodnight with Dolly
Other than her financial contributions to ease people’s sufferings from the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolly Parton has also released a 10-week series of bedtime stories on YouTube available for free streaming. She believes that the small gesture of reading bedtime stories for children is a welcome reprieve (for both parents and children) from all that is happening in the world.
Mountain Tough
More than offering a distraction from the pandemic, Parton also created the Mountain Tough. This is an organization that offers resources for everyone affected by the pandemic. The center of the organization is in Sevier county where the singer was born and raised. The Mountain Tough helps not only those who lost jobs but also those who need food resources, counseling, and assistance.
Dollywood Foundation
Aside from all the charity work she did concerning COVID-19, Dolly Parton is a well-known philanthropist who had been working with the less privileged early on in her career. One of her major works would be the Dollywood Foundation which organizes projects and funding for many of her advocacies and charitable activities.
One of the most successful projects of the Dollywood Foundation is the Imagination Library. This is a free book gifting program for children. Another one of the successful works is My People Fund. This project financially supports all wildfire victims from Sevier county. Her biggest charity work in the past (before the Moderna donation) was the construction of the LeConte Medical Center in Sevier county.
