Jeffrey and Kayla Fuller tell of how flood waters rushed into their Tennessee home during Hurricane Helene’s fury setting off a mad scramble to be rescued.
NEWPORT, Tenn. – Country music icon Dolly Parton and Walmart are partnering to donate millions of dollars to assist victims of Hurricane Helene floods.
The donations were announced Friday afternoon at a Walmart parking lot in Newport, Tennessee, one of many small towns in East Tennessee and western North Carolina that were devastated by Helene.
Upon taking the stage, Parton sang about the devastation of Helene, set to the tune of her classic song “Jolene.”
“Helene. Helene. Helene. Helene. You came in here and broke us all apart,” she sang. “Helene. Helene. Helene. Helene. But we’re all here to mend these broken hearts – and that’s what I’m doing here.”
FILE: Dolly Parton performs during the college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Tennessee Volunteers on November 18, 2023, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN.
(Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
Parton, a native of East Tennessee, shared some of her own experiences growing up near the town and recalled her love for the region.
“These are my mountains, these are my valleys, there are my rivers flowing like a stream,” she said. “These are my people, these mountain-colored rainbows. These are my people, and this is my home.”
DOG RESCUED FROM TREE IN TENNESSEE AFTER HELENE FLOODS
Parton announced that she was personally donating $1 million toward relief efforts through the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing immediate assistance to Helene victims.
Her businesses in East Tennessee, such as Dollywood Parks & Resorts, and the Dollywood Foundation were matching her donation with an additional $1 million toward the Mountain Ways Foundation.
The eastbound and westbound Interstate 26 bridges near mile marker 40 in Unicoi County collapsed Friday during peak Hurricane Helene flooding.
“This beautiful region which we all love so much has an extreme challenge ahead of it,” said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. “And while it may be quite daunting right now, we know the spirit of the people in this region will help them overcome what faces them in the days ahead.”
Officials also announced that the Dollywood theme park will become a donation drop-off site, where those wishing to help can donate relief items, such as baby formula, first aid supplies and kitty litter.
Walmart also announced their contribution to relief efforts. Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said they are donating a total of $10 million to help Helene victims across the affected states.
Destroyed homes are seen in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene.
(ALLISON JOYCE/AFP)
Recovery and rebuilding efforts may last months, if not years, across Tennessee, North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. However, hope – as much as the donations – was championed as a critical component for moving forward.
“We are with you. We love you. We hope that things get better real soon, and we’re going to do our part to try to make that possible,” Parton said. “I think that with God’s help and all the help of all these good people, we’ll make it.”