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Dolly Parton's Love of the Great Smoky Mountains Helped Transform Her Hometown
Dollywood generates $1.8 billion a year and is Sevier County’s largest employer, officials said, while Parton’s foundation cut dropout rates to 6%.
- Mourners gathered Tuesday night at a bronze statue in Sevierville to honor singer Dolly Parton, whose death has deeply affected the rural Sevier County community where she maintained a profound personal connection.
- Parton partnered in 1986 to launch Dollywood, which now generates $1.8 billion annually as the county's largest employer, transforming Sevier County's economy beyond its existing tourism draw.
- The Dollywood Foundation launched the Buddy Program in the early 1990s to combat high school dropout rates hovering around 30%, eventually reducing them to 6% in Sevier County through $500 incentives for graduates.
- After the 2016 wildfire killed 14 people and caused $2 billion in losses, Parton directed funds to displaced families and provided scholarships; former mayor David Wear credited her star power with aiding recovery.
- Separately, her Imagination Library initiative has achieved global reach, with children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia receiving more than 330 million books since the program began.
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16 Articles
16 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left9Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 40%
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