Dolly Parton is donating $1,000 a month to fire victims in Tennessee
Dolly Parton is a national treasure.
The beloved singer announced Wednesday that her companies would donate $1,000 a month to "all of those families who lost their homes" in the devastating Tennessee wildfire that has killed at least 7 people.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
According to local officials, the fire has destroyed at least 400 structures in and around Gatlinburg, Tennessee, since Monday. Guests of the nearby Dollywood theme park were forced to evacuate the premises.
"As you may know by now, there have been terrible wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains, the same mountains where I grew up and where my people call home," Parton said in a statement.
"We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. To aid in their recovery effort, the Dollywood Foundation will provide $1,000 a month to all of those families who lost their homes in the fires for six months so that they can get back on their feet."
The Dollywood Foundation is donating the money through the "My People Fund," which is also asking for contributions from the public. It said more information about the donations was "coming Friday."
It's not clear how many of the 400 structures lost were family homes. Just to give an idea of how expensive this would be, paying $1,000 for each of those buildings for six months would cost $2.4 million.
Keith Wagstaff is an assistant editor at Mashable and a terrible Settlers of Catan player. He has written for TIME, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, NBC News, The Village Voice, VICE, GQ and New York Magazine, among many other reputable and not-so-reputable publications. After nearly a decade in New York City, he now lives in his native Los Angeles.
