Parton will use the money to aid her ongoing philanthropic efforts.
Recently, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced that he would be giving away the majority of his own $124 billion net worth over the course of his remaining lifetime. Over the weekend, Bezos, alongside his partner Lauren Sanchez, made the first of these large scale donations by awarding $100 million to singer and songwriter Dolly Parton.
Parton was named the recipient of this year’s Courage and Civility Award, the third such award to be given out since its founding. “We have in this very room, the recipient of the next Courage and Civility Award,” Bezos said in a video shared on his Instagram. “The woman you’re about to meet embodies these ideals so thoroughly.”
“She gives with her heart,” he continued. “What she’s done for kids, for illiteracy and so many other things — is just incredible. It is my great honor to welcome the 2022 Courage and Civility recipient up on stage. Dolly Parton.”
“When people are in a position to help, you should help,” Parton said in the video after greeting Bezos and Sanchez “And I know that I’ve always said I try to put my money where my heart is, and I think you do the same thing.”
Dolly Parton has been awarded $100 million from Jeff Bezos to give to charities of her choice.
Bezos selected Parton as the 2022 recipient of his Courage and Charities Award, as an individual who “leads with her heart.”
🔗: https://t.co/3dUfr73tmA pic.twitter.com/UgH0eEGyQE
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 14, 2022
“I’m going to try do my best to do good things with this money,” Parton said, adding, “Thank you, Jeff.”
Parton will use this money to fund her own ongoing philanthropic efforts, including the Imagination Library and pediatric infectious disease research.
