In the spring of 2020, Dolly Parton made a $1 million donation to COVID-19 research at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
According to the New England Medical Journal, the research done at Vanderbilt helped the biotechnology company Moderna develop its COVID-19 vaccine, which has proven to be 94.5 percent effective against the virus.
At the time of the donation, Dolly released a statement saying, “My longtime friend Dr. Naji Abumrad, who’s been involved in research at Vanderbilt for many years, informed me that they were making some exciting advancements towards research of the coronavirus for a cure. I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations.”
Fans took to social media to thank Dolly for her contribution.
I want everyone to know that Dolly Parton gave us Buffy the tv series, the song 9 to 5, Dollywood, and of course the Covid vaccine. https://t.co/mCPB3QlCpZ
— Kevidently (@Kevidently) November 17, 2020
Dolly Parton just casually saving the world from covid by funding the new vaccine with 95% success rate pic.twitter.com/puxEEZLmHL
— Ben Wilson (@benljwilson1996) November 17, 2020
Dolly Parton donated $1 million to Vanderbilt for vaccine research.
Vanderbilt researchers were involved in the Moderna trials.
Ergo, Dolly Parton helped cure COVID.
— Jonathan “Boo and Vote” Cohn (@JonathanCohn) November 17, 2020
Further proof that @DollyParton is the greatest source of good in the world these days https://t.co/19OmiQlZXl
— John Schumacher (@Shoehoo) November 16, 2020
Dolly addressed the news today saying, “When I donated the money to the Covid fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let’s just hope we can find a cure real soon.”
When I donated the money to the Covid fund I just wanted it to do good and evidently, it is! Let’s just hope we can find a cure real soon. pic.twitter.com/dQgDWexO0C
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) November 17, 2020