Dolly Parton is being recognized for her massive donation to help fund coronavirus vaccine research in 2020. The country icon will be among the recipients of this year’s Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipients.
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The award, presented by the international family of Carnegie institutions to honor innovative philanthropists, debuted in 2001 and is normally awarded every two years. It was not issued in 2021 due to the pandemic.
Also being honored at this year’s ceremony are Dallas entrepreneur Lyda Hill, Kenyan industrialist Manu Chandaria, and Lynn and Stacy Schusterman, from the Oklahoma investment family.
The 2022 honorees will receive their medals in a private ceremony in New York on October 13. According to Billboard, A priority of the ceremony is fostering personal meetings to encourage the exchange of ideas – which this year’s honorees have already done.
Parton’s $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center is what grabbed the attention of the committee. The singer’s fellow honoree Hill, through her Lyda Hill Philanthropies, was also an early donor to the work that would eventually produce the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Parton said in a statement about the honor, “I’ve always believed that if you are in a position to help, you should help, and I truly hope that I can be an inspiration for others to lift up those around them.”
She continued, “Whether through my Imagination Library or giving to COVID-19 research, I try to support things that have a special meaning for me. I hope everyone can find something they’re passionate about supporting and do what they can to help make this world a better place.”
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
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