Dolly Parton is the COVID Savior We Didn’t Know We Needed
Dolly. Parton. It’s about time we talked about this icon.
In 2020, she did so many things to help pandemic relief; among them being helping to develop the Moderna vaccine. She donated one million dollars to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which would soon produce one of the two main vaccines to help prevent coronavirus. “I’m just happy that anything I do can help somebody else.” Dolly told the LA Times, upon first finding out that her donation is what helped develop the Moderna vaccine and push it forward.
In addition to this, Dolly Parton started her very own weekly story time series called “Goodnight with Dolly.” It was through her own Imagination Library in March 2020 for roughly ten weeks, and served to “share a story and share some love” to kids (and adults) everywhere.
Keeping with her loyalty to the Vanderbilt University, Dolly Parton helped to send holiday cards to children staying at the Vanderbilt University Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. She asked fans to send messages of love and hope to the children, and even allowed them to customize their own Dolly-themed card to send for the holidays.
Throughout 2020, Parton has also used her gift of singing to help the fight against various hot-button issues. She joined Monica, Jordin Sparks, Sara Evans and Rita Wilson to sing on the single “PINK”, which helped to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. Moreover, she appeared on Cyndi Lauper’s “Home for the Holidays” in December 2020, which benefitted True Colors United in order to combat LGBTQ+ homelessness. Wherever Dolly performs, she’s a beam of light – and she always has a positive message to share to the public.
Public response to anything Dolly does is always positive, but social media has been endlessly praising her for her service over the past year. Her Instagram and Twitter accounts are full of love and support as she endlessly works to be present in the discourse of our country’s current issues. On TikTok, many are claiming that the Moderna vaccine is superior, and they’re saying (as a joke, of course) that those who get that version are getting “free Dolly Parton merchandise”. Dolly’s taken a liking to all of these lighthearted jokes and memes, and even sang her own parody of “Jolene” while receiving her first dose of the vaccine in early March.
Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine. @VUMChealth pic.twitter.com/38kJrDzLqC
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 2, 2021
Take it from Dolly – go get your vaccine (vaccine, vaccine, vacciiiiiine)!
