08/26/2026
We are thinking about Dolly Parton and everyone who loved her today.
Therapy horses Scout and Magic with Gentle Carousel were asked to come to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tennessee, home of Dollywood, to spend time with families after the Great Smoky Mountain wildfires. This photo was taken on Christmas Day.
The fires burned over 17,900 acres, damaged or destroyed 2,500 structures, injured 134 people and caused 14 deaths. The fires forced the emergency evacuation of over 14,000 residents and visitors from Gatlinburg and surrounding areas in Sevier County.
During our time there we heard so many stories about Dolly, how much she was loved and her acts of kindness in her home county.
We remember one family who had lost their home in the fire. The parents were both working in a restaurant that was still open. Their four young children were sitting in a booth while they worked because they had no place to go. They told us how much they appreciated their jobs and wouldn’t have them if it wasn’t for Dolly.
It was Christmas Day and Scout with his Santa Claus hat helped entertain their children that afternoon on the restaurant porch while the parents worked. The children each picked out a stuffed toy horse and a book to take with them before we left. Scout gave them lots of love and horse hugs that Christmas.
It is what Dolly would do.
And what Dolly did… she gave families who lost their primary homes $1,000 every month for six months with a final $5,000 payment for each family.
Dolly Parton
