Dolly Parton will not only be remembered for her iconic songs and Southern charm, but also for her philanthropic work. Throughout her life, she supported communities in need, especially in her home state of Tennessee. She funded medical research that led to one of the first Covid-19 vaccines, donated to wildfire victims and even helped the once-endangered bald eagle, America's national bird.
But it is her Imagination Library - the mainstay of her charity work - that has helped millions of children learn to read by sending out free books. The programme was inspired by her father who couldn't read or write. "I think deep down inside, my daddy was prouder of [the library] than he even was of my career," Dolly wrote.
Parton established her non-profit organisation, the Dollywood Foundation, in 1988, to help bolster children's education. Its efforts are practical - like sending out books - and often goes directly to the grass roots, where it can really make a difference, fast. In the early 90s, Parton said she'd give every seventh and eighth-grade student (ages 12 to 14) in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up, $500 if they graduated high school.
They had to have a buddy, to keep each other in check - which in turn made more children graduate. Sure, it was a bit of a bribe, but it worked - the drop out rate went from 35% to 6%, according to the foundation's website. "I'm kind of addicted to the feeling of giving," she once said.
"Knowing that I'm doing something good for someone else." Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022, which honoured her as "one of the entertainment world's most generous philanthropists". Dolly Parton was one of 12 children born into a poor family that lived in a one-bedroom cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Her hardworking father, Robert Lee Parton, was a tobacco farmer.
"He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams," Dolly wrote. Inspired by this, the Imagination Library was launched in 1995, with the help of Robert Parton. It sends out free books to children younger than five every month.
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