Dolly Parton is opening up her checkbook during the worst pandemic since the 1918 Spanish flu.
The 74-year-old country singer announced on Wednesday she is donating $1M toward researching COVID-19 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
And the Hardcandy Christmas crooner also encouraged people with means to also donate what they can.
A giver: Dolly Parton is opening up her checkbook during the worst pandemic since the 1918 Spanish flu. The 74-year-old country singer announced on Wednesday she is donating $1M toward researching COVID-19 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Seen in November
Doing what is right: ‘My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure,’ the singer shared on Instagram
‘My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure,’ the singer shared on Instagram.
‘I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research,’ she added.
The day before she said that first responders deserve a special nod.
‘I know it’s easy for us to sit home and watch you on television and feel sorry for you because what you’re going through, but we are at war and you’re on the frontlines,’ she said.
Hard to handle: In an Instagram video, she sang: ‘Well hello it’s Dolly, climbing the stairway to heaven, because the virus has scared the h-e-l-l out of us.’ She laughed: ‘I’m not making light of the situation. Well, maybe I am, because it’s the light, I believe that’s gonna dissolve the situation’
‘We just want you to know we’re praying for you and we appreciate you more than you can imagine,’ she said.
This comes after Parton said she thinks the coronavirus pandemic is a ‘lesson’ from God.
The country music icon said staying positive was the best way to deal with the ongoing health crisis.
In an Instagram video, she sang: ‘Well hello it’s Dolly, climbing the stairway to heaven, because the virus has scared the h-e-l-l out of us.’
Her pal: The legend has become close friends with Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon
She laughed: ‘I’m not making light of the situation. Well, maybe I am, because it’s the light, I believe that’s gonna dissolve the situation.
‘I think God is in this, I really do. I think he’s trying to hold us up to the light so we can see ourselves and see each other through the eyes of love. And I hope we learn that lesson.’
The singer insisted people will be in a ‘better’ place once the current situation is over.
She added: ‘I think that when this passes, we’re gonna all be better people. I know that I have a positive attitude about it, as negative as it seems to be right now. So just keep the faith, don’t be too scared, it’s gonna be alright, God loves us.’
Sing it girl: The siren seen on stage in 2014; she has been singing her hits since the 1970s
The 9 To 5 hitmaker’s comments come after it was revealed she would be teaming with Imagination Library for a new series titled ‘Goodnight with Dolly’. The book reading project will be a 10-week series that will focus on ‘comforting and reassuring children’ during the pandemic, which has left many forced to stay in their homes.
For ‘Goodnight with Dolly’ – which will be free – Dolly will read from a number of popular books including ‘The Little Engine That Could’, ‘There’s a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake’, ‘Llama Llama Red Pajama’. The country singer will also read stories such as ‘I Am a Rainbow’, ‘Pass It On’, ‘Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon’ and ‘Coat of Many Colours’.
The new series – titled The Book Lady – will premiere on April 2, 2020 for 10 weeks, starting at 7:00pm EST each Thursday night.
It will be available via Imagination Library, Dolly Parton, World Choice Investments, and Dollywood channels.
