Dolly Parton joins Hurricane Helene relief efforts with $1M donation: 'These are my people'

Dolly Parton donated $1 million of her own money to Hurricane Helene relief efforts, the country music star announced Friday.

Parton's Dollywood also added an additional $1 million to the relief fund, donating to The Mountain Ways Foundation. Walmart CEO John Furner joined the musician to explain how the company has set up resources across the affected states, providing showers and other supplies to Americans displaced by Hurricane Helene. In addition, Furner announced that Walmart, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation are increasing their relief efforts' commitment to $10 million, up from $6 million.

"I'm happy to be here," Parton said at the press conference. "And I'm sure a lot of you are wondering where I've been. Everybody's saying, 'Where's Dolly? Well, I've been like everybody else, trying to absorb everything going on, trying to figure out all the best ways to do this," she continued before singing about Hurricane Helene to the tune of her hit song, "Jolene."

Hurricane Helene dumped trillions of gallons of water hundreds of miles inland, devastating communities nestled in mountains far from the threat of storm surge or sea level rise.

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Parton, who grew up in eastern Tennessee, noted that she wanted to give back to the community where she was raised.

"We're all here to mend these broken hearts, and that's what I'm doing here," she told reporters and North Carolina residents. "So, I really, really wish that we were all together for another reason."

"But we all have seen the devastation," Parton added. "I mean, who knew in our little part of the country here where I was born, raised just right down the road, that we would have this kind of devastation? And I look around, and I think these are my mountains, these are my valleys. These are my rivers flowing like a stream. These are my people, these mountain-colored rainbows. These are my people. And this is my home."

The "9 to 5" singer left Americans with a message of hope at the end of the press conference.

"I know it's easy for us to say, 'Oh, things are going to get better' when things are still really bad," she noted. "All we can say is that we are with you. We love you. We hope that things get better real soon, and we're going to do our part to try to make that possible. We love you, and we appreciate you. And we thank you. And I think that with God's help and all the help of all these good people, we'll make it."

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Due to the lack of electricity and cell service, locals are unable to communicate to find out where necessities are. Communication with loved ones and emergency personnel is also spotty, and residents are relying on temporary cell service towers that have been set up in select locations. But outside those locations, there is still no service or roaming data.

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At least 224 people have lost their lives across six states due to Hurricane Helene, FOX Weather has confirmed. The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue continues to comb through new areas.

Before Helene, federal forecasters told residents in western North Carolina that flooding from the hurricane could be "one of the most significant weather events to happen" since 1916. That year, a pair of hurricanes within a week killed at least 80 people, and the community of Altapass received more than 20 inches of rain (50.8 centimeters) in a 24-hour span.

For her part, Parton has contributed to disaster relief efforts in the past. In August, the musician teamed up with Felix Cavaliere to re-record the popular song "My Hawaii." 

All proceeds from the song are being donated to the Maui United Way – Maui Fire Disaster Relief Fund. The financial assistance from the fund goes to survivors of the massive fire in Lahaina and Kula in 2023. The fire devastated Maui, killing 102 people, after Hawaiian Electric equipment was damaged by high winds.

Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.