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Dolly Parton is proving once again why she’s one of the most beloved celebrities in the industry.
Following news that the country star has been nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022, she’s doing something amazing for the working class people who help her legacy live on.
The “9 to 5” singer’s Knoxville, Tennessee theme park, Dollywood, has just announced they they are covering the cost of education for all of its employees this year.
Herschend Enterprises, the operating partner of Dollywood, Dollywood’s Splash Country, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, Dollywood Cabins, and Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show will cover 100% of their employees’ tuition, fees, and books for those who wish to further their education.
“We know when our hosts are happy and feel cared for that they are going to pass that along to our guests,” said Eugene Naughton, president of The Dollywood Company, in a press release. “The creation of the program allows another avenue for us to care for our hosts.
The statement continued, “One of The Dollywood Foundation’s key tenets is to ‘learn more.’ This program is created with that very tenet in mind. We want our hosts to develop themselves through advanced learning to fulfill the foundation’s other tenets: care more, dream more, and be more. When our hosts strive to grow themselves, it makes our business and our community a truly better place.”
This college program is in partnership with Herschend Enterprises, the company that runs Dollywood with Parton. Herschend is offering the incentive through its pilot program GROW U. Seasonal, part-time and full-time employees will have access to diploma, degree and certificate programs across 30 learning partners. Programs will be offered in business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology, and marketing.
The company will also provide partial funding, up to $5,250/year, for 150 additional programs in fields including hospitality, engineering, human resources and art design.
As fans of the country star already know, Parton is not new to giving back. Her Dollywood Foundation gives away over $1 million in donations every year, mostly to local groups in Tennessee. Parton also donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for development of the Moderna vaccine.
