Much has been said in recent days about the legacy left behind by Dolly Parton.
Her music made her the undisputed queen of country music. And it had the ability to cross genres once thought unimaginable as Mötley Crüe (verify Judas Priest claim independently).
She shared her wealth with numerous causes ranging from education to emergency services to hospitals. And she had the very unique ability to be loved by both Democrats and Republicans.
While most of the attention has been focused on her charity work in her home region of East Tennessee, her impact was felt throughout the mountains of Appalachia, including here in Russell County.
A recent post made on the Facebook page of Castlewood Fire and Rescue sums it up far better than this reporter ever could. The department’s statement is as follows:
Sometimes, a person’s impact reaches much farther than the place they call home.
Here in Castlewood, Virginia — about two and a half hours from Dollywood and Dolly Parton’s home in East Tennessee — Dolly’s impact can be found throughout our community in ways that connect directly with our children, our families, our patients, and even our firefighters.
As our local schools remember Dolly and the difference she has made, it is worth reflecting on just how far that impact reaches across Appalachia.
Through Books, Children, and Imagination
Perhaps one of Dolly’s greatest legacies is found in the hands of a child holding a book.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was created in honor of her father, Robert Lee Parton, who could not read or write. What began as a daughter’s tribute to her father grew into a program providing books to young children and encouraging families to read together.
That impact is felt right here at home.
Children in our community have grown up receiving books through the Imagination Library from birth to age five. Those books introduce children to reading, encourage their imaginations, and begin building a foundation for learning before they ever enter a classroom.
Today, as schools across our area plan activities to remember Dolly and her contributions to children’s literacy, they are also helping continue something that began as a deeply personal tribute to her father.
Through Fire and Disaster
The connection becomes even closer when we look at the devastating wildfires that have affected East Tennessee.
When wildfires threatened and destroyed homes and communities, Dolly stepped forward to support families and communities facing tremendous loss.
For Castlewood Fire and Rescue, those fires weren’t simply something happening hours away on the news.
Firefighters from our area were placed on standby and prepared to deploy to East Tennessee to assist if additional resources were needed.
It was another reminder of how closely connected the communities of Appalachia really are. County and state lines become much less important when someone’s home is burning and another community needs help.
Through Her Recognition of Firefighters
Dolly also recognized the people who answer those calls.
At Dollywood, FireChaser Express pays tribute to firefighters and the work they do protecting their communities. The attraction includes firefighting themes and has featured signed fire hoses representing firefighters and departments across Tennessee. The antique extinguishers near the queue lines have even provided context to pictures found in textbooks and provided an opportunity to review training while waiting in line.
It may seem like a small gesture compared with her larger philanthropic efforts, but those details mean something to members of the fire service.
They recognize people who often leave their own families, jobs, and communities behind when someone else needs help. For firefighters visiting Dollywood with their families, it is a reminder that their service is seen and appreciated.
Through Medical Care
There is another connection that may be even more personal for families in Southwest Virginia.
Some pediatric patients from our region who need a higher level of specialized care ultimately find themselves traveling to Knoxville.
Today, that care is provided at Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
For EMS providers, a hospital two and a half hours away doesn’t always feel two and a half hours away. Sometimes it is the destination associated with a critically ill or injured child from our own community who needs specialized pediatric resources beyond what is available locally.
For those children and their families, Dolly’s name isn’t simply associated with music, Dollywood, or a distant celebrity. It is connected to a place providing care during what may be one of the most frightening days of their lives.
An Impact Across Appalachia
There are certainly many more examples.
But these are some that stand out to us because we can see the connections from right here in Castlewood.
We see it in the books our children receive.
We see it in our schools encouraging children to read and remembering why the Imagination Library began.
We saw it when firefighters here stood ready to travel across state lines to help East Tennessee during devastating fires.
We see it in her recognition of firefighters and first responders.
And we see it when children from our region need specialized medical care in Knoxville.
Dolly Parton proudly represented the mountains and the people who call them home. Her influence reached around the world, but perhaps some of her most meaningful impacts can still be found right here in Appalachia.
Two and a half hours away, we’re still seeing the difference she made — in a book placed in a child’s hands, in communities recovering from fire, in the recognition of those who answer the call, and in the care provided to a sick or injured child from our own mountains.
From all of us at Castlewood Fire and Rescue, we join our schools, our neighbors, and communities throughout Appalachia in remembering a remarkable legacy that reached far beyond any county or state line.
Dolly, we will always love you.
