CNN
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Dolly Parton is the most recent recipient of the Bezos Braveness and Civility Award.
“Jeff [Bezos] and I are so proud to share that we’ve got a brand new Bezos Braveness and Civility Award winner — a girl who offers together with her coronary heart and leads with love and compassion in each facet of her work,” Bezos’ longtime accomplice, Lauren Sanchez, posted on Instagram alongside a video of their speech Friday earlier than awarding the grant to the nation music legend and longtime philanthropist.
“We are able to’t wait to see all the great that you just’re going to do with this $100 million award, @DollyParton.”
Parton, who has donated to numerous causes for many years, publicly thanked Bezos and Sanchez on Twitter.
“I attempt to put my cash the place my coronary heart is. I’ll do my greatest to do good issues with this cash,” Parton tweeted. “Thanks @JeffBezos #LaurenSanchez”
Through the Covid-19 pandemic, Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt College Medical Heart’s vaccine analysis efforts. It was partly used to fund Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.
She mentioned in an interview on the time with BBC’s “The One Present,” that she felt “honored and proud.”
“I simply felt so proud to have been a part of that little seed cash that may hopefully develop into one thing nice and assist to heal this world,” she mentioned. “I’m a really proud woman at this time to know I had something in any respect to do with one thing that’s going to assist us by way of this loopy pandemic.”
In 1988, Parton established the Dollywood Basis, and finally The Creativeness Library, a program that helps kids the world over entry books.
Amongst her philanthropic efforts in her house state of Tennessee, Parton additionally created the Dolly Parton Scholarship, which offers $15,000 to recipients in direction of a school training.
Final yr, Bezos awarded $100 million every to CNN contributor Van Jones and chef José Andrés.
Bezos, the founder and former head of Amazon.com, mentioned at a press convention on the time that the grant had no string hooked up.
“They may give all of it to their very own charity,” Bezos mentioned final yr. “Or they will share the wealth. It’s as much as them.”