September 25th is unofficially Dolly Parton Day, and her foundation, The Dollywood Foundation, announced how they would like us to give back to the woman who has made a difference in millions of children lives by giving them the gift of books to learn how to love reading.
They are calling it Give Like Dolly Day. So how can you give like the late singer? They are asking if you can please give to one of the thousands of Local Imagination Library Partners around the world who help carry Dolly’s mission forward in their own communities.
If you are like me and don’t have a local chapter, then they can ask if you can help to create one. I will work with members in my Buy Nothing group to create one for our neighborhood and spread the joy of reading to the next generation.
“For Dolly, giving was always personal and from her heart,” said Jeff Conyers, President of The Dollywood Foundation. “She believed deeply in helping people, especially children, and she always felt if you are in a position to help, you should help. Give Like Dolly Day is an opportunity for people everywhere to not only support their local Imagination Library Partners but also other local nonprofits helping children.”
I also plan on donating financially. I plan on giving $9.25 in her honor. It is not a lot, but if everyone does the same, then a little can add up to a lot.
The best way to keep Dolly’s spirit alive is to give back like she did. What a beautiful legacy she left behind.
There are two types of people when it comes to how they choose to remember Dolly Parton first. One chooses to remember the entertainer first. The other highlights her philanthropy.
Garth Brooks (and I) is the latter, and he is planning on honoring her by giving back.
The singer and his wife issued this statement: “Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are honoring Dolly Parton in a way that celebrates both her remarkable life and her passion for helping children.
“Brooks and Yearwood’s Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk will honor Parton on Sept. 25 by declaring the date ‘Dolly Day.’ The choice of 9/25 is a nod to Parton’s iconic hit ‘9 to 5.’ On that day, Friends in Low Places will donate its entire income for the day to children’s literacy. The couple plans to make ‘Dolly Day’ an annual event at FILP.”
So let’s all make September 25th, Dolly Parton Day, and donate $9.25 to Imagination Library. If we all do it, it will add up to a whole lot of books for the next generations to read.
I heard someone say that Miss Parton would have been a billionaire if she did not give so much of her money away to people and organizations in need. So, in a world full of Elon Musks and Donald Trumps (who hoard money), be a Dolly Parton because no one can take any of it with them when they die.
We can also honor her by working to make the world a better place, touching one person at a time with a smile and a laugh!
Before Dolly Parton sang on some of the biggest stages in the World, she sang in a parking lot at WIVK Radio’s Cas Walker Show Event. How beautiful was the 15-year-old singing at the 1960 event?
Formonthsleadingup to her death, Dolly Parton had suffered from mysterious health issues. But she did not disclose what they were. Today, her publicist revealed to People what most likely caused her death.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.
“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.
The magazine added that she was admitted into the hospital on Friday with kidney and autoimmune issues.
Today, we lost a true angel in mortal form. Gd called Dolly Parton home to be with him and her husband, Carl Dean, whom I am sure she wanted to be reunited with ever since his passing in March 2025.
Miss Dolly came from humble beginnings, growing up in a tiny home with her parents and 11 siblings. And maybe it was that upbringing that made her the kind and giving person she grew up to be.
She gave the world music to sing along with, movies to enjoy, talk show appearances to laugh with her, and a kindness to aspire to.
Her legacy will live on in so many different ways. I hope we remember all the incredible things she did behind the scenes, like giving children free books, helping to fund the Moderna COVID vaccine, sending Dollywood employees to college for free, and so much more.
I am sure we are going to learn in the upcoming months that she did so much more than we ever imagined she did. Miss Dolly might have had a flashy persona, but she was very quiet about her generosity.
Writing this is not easy. Because, like so many, I grew up loving Miss Dolly. As a New Yorker, Country music was not my thing. But she stood out. Right now, I am having happy flashbacks of my memories of her, and they go back to when I was just single digits old. Even as a child, I tried to imitate her style, confidence, and sexiness.
She owned who she was, and that is just one of the many reasons why we loved her.
Thank you to her parents for raising her to be the woman she became. Thank you to the town hussy who inspired her look. Thank you to her husband for loving her. Thank you to the record companies that took a chance on her. Thank you to the plastic surgeons and wig makers who kept her looking so good.
Thank you for the music. Thank you for humor. Thank you for movies. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for your one liners, like explaining that my feet are so small because things don’t grow in the shade. Thank you for kindness. Thank you for being you. Because of that, I will always remember you with a smile, not with tears.
So, as she was lifted up to heaven, I could hear singing, “Here I go,” from Here You Come Again. However, I will be singing I Will Always Love You and playing the melody with my nails.
To see her nephew announce her passing, then click here!
