Dolly Parton distributes last checks to wildfire victims

NASHVILLE – Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation has given $10,000 each to nearly 900 families displaced by deadly wildfires in Tennessee last year.

The singer said in a statement that the final distribution of checks was made this week to families in Sevier County to help them rebuild. The Country Music Hall of Fame singer started the My People fund after wildfires struck in November, killing 14 people in the Gatlinburg area and destroying or damaging thousands of buildings.

Parton held a star-studded telethon to bring in hundreds of thousands of donations to the fund. But the singer isn’t stopping her charity. She said $3 million will be used to start a new fund called Mountain Tough Recovery, which will continue to aid residents affected by the fires.