NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 13, 2016) — Dolly Parton and friends Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Cyndi Lauper, Hank Williams, Jr. Alison Krauss, Alabama and many more are set to perform tonight during Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund 7 p.m. CT Tuesday, Dec. 13 on Great American Country.
The Telethon will also be aired via live streams on USAToday.com and the USA Today National Network; Tennessean.com; Knoxnews.com; Commercialappeal.com; Jacksonsun.com; Theleafchronicle.com; and Dnj.com. WATN – Memphis, WBBJ – Jackson, WVLT – Knoxville, WTVC – Chattanooga, WTVF – Nashville, WKRN – Nashville, WSMV – Nashville, WTNZ – Knoxville are confirmed, as is AXS-TV, RFD-TV, and the Heartland Network.
Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, Big & Rich, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, LOCASH, Chris Janson and Montgomery Gentry are also slated to join Dolly for this important fund-raising event. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the people of Great Smoky Mountains.
The My People Fund will provide $1,000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. Any family who lost their primary residence (renters and homeowners) due to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org.
The nationally-broadcast, three-hour telethon seeks to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton’s dinner theaters in the wake of last week’s wildfires in the entertainment icon’s home area of Sevier County, Tennessee.
“My home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is some place special,” Parton said. “Wildfires have affected many of the people—my people—who live in those beautiful mountains. We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet.”
During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund.
Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit www.dollywoodfoundation.org. For those wishing to send donations via mail, those contributions should be sent to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.
Please help the Dollywood Foundation share the word about this effort by using the hashtags #MyPeopleFund and #someplacespecial. For more information on Dolly Parton, visit www.dollyparton.com.
