Celebrating the Life and Work of Dolly Parton

That the Parliament recognises the extraordinary life, career and philanthropic contribution of Dolly Parton, whose work as a musician, songwriter, author, businesswoman and philanthropist has had a positive impact on millions of people around the world; notes that, through the Dollywood Foundation, Dolly supported educational opportunities for young people, including the Buddy Program, which reduced the dropout rate among the participating classes in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, from 35% to 6%; recognises the remarkable contribution of her Imagination Library, which provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five and has now gifted more than 300 million books worldwide across the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Australia; further recognises her commitment to education through Dollywood’s GROW U programme, which provides eligible employees with 100% free tuition and covers fees and required books and supplies; acknowledges her significant contribution to medical research and healthcare, including her $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020, which supported COVID-19 research contributing to the development of a vaccine, as well as her $1 million donation to the Paediatric Cancer Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital in honour of her niece, Hannah Dennison; recognises her compassion and generosity following natural disasters, including through the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 per month for six months to families who lost their homes in the 2016 East Tennessee wildfires, as well as funding for the wider recovery effort, ultimately providing $12.5 million in assistance; further recognises her response to Hurricane Helene in 2024, when she personally donated $1 million to the Mountain Ways Foundation, with her donation matched by the Dollywood Foundation and her other businesses; celebrates Dolly's enduring commitment to literacy, education, healthcare and disaster relief, and commends her for using her success and influence to improve the lives of children, families and communities, while inspiring generations through her music, generosity, kindness and belief in the transformative power of education.