The parent company of Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, has offered to fund the educational expenses for workers at Parton’s Pigeon Forge, Tennessee park, as well as other locations under its operation.
Herschend Enterprises, which is the operating partner of the 76-year-old music legend’s theme park, disclosed that it will cover all expenses for tuition, fees, and books for employees in their educational endeavors under a program called ‘GROW U’, according to reports.
The Dollywood Company’s President, Eugene Naughton in a statement mentioned that “the creation of the program allows another avenue for us to care for our employees”. He also noted that when workers “are happy and feel cared for that they are going to pass that along to our guests”.
One of The Dollywood Foundation’s key tenets is to “learn more”, Naughton said. According to him, 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”.
Eugene Naughton
In addition to its venue with the Jolene artist, Herschend also operates attractions in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, and New Jersey, among other locations, employing an estimated 11,000 people who will all be eligible for the program, according to some reports.
Herschend CEO, Andrew Wexler, in a statement said: “Whether it’s to pursue a new dream or advance their career with us, we care about our employees’ personal and professional growth because we believe that their futures should be grown with love, not loans.
“Our team members’ success is our success – and that’s why we’re thrilled to make this benefit available to all, regardless of their role in the company and without the burden of debt”.
Andrew Wexler,
Fans of the singer were quick to pile on the praise for the star, with many joking she should run for Presidency. Actress Rosie O’Donnell was among those showing appreciation and took to Twitter to say: “She’s an angel #DollyParton”.
One fan tweeted and said: “You go Dolly. She is absolutely above all the rest“, alongside a string of clapping hand emojis.
Congressional candidate, Charles Booker of Kentucky also wrote: “Dolly, you truly are appreciated“.
That notwithstanding, influencer, Matt Bernstein commented that the star and her company were doing “more for students” than the current US President, Joe Biden.
The ‘GROW U’ program will include options for diplomas, degrees, and certificates in fields such as business administration, finance, and technology. The program is set to launch on February 24, 2021, according to some news reports.
This is not the first time Parton will be doing something charitable. Parton has a long history of charitable endeavors, as she’s been involved in financing for literacy awareness, victims of the 2016 wildfires in the Smoky Mountains, and the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19.
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