Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos has awarded country music legend Dolly Parton $100 million to donate as she pleases, as the latest winner of his organization’s “Courage and Civility” award.
Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez presented the award to Parton for her philanthropic work on Saturday, according to a tweet from Bezos.
“She gives with her heart,” Bezos said during the award presentation. “What she’s done for kids, literacy and so many other things is just incredible.”
When accepting her award, Parton said she would do her best to put the money to good use.
“Wow! Did you say a $100 million dollars?” Parton said in her speech. “When people are in a position to help, you should help, and I know that I’ve always said I try to put my money where my heart is.”
Parton joins celebrity chef Jose Andres and CNN personality Van Jones as the only three recipients of the award.
Parton has made numerous high-profile donations in the past few years, donating $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s Medical Center in 2020 for COVID-19 research, which helped launch the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, according to NBC News.
Parton also invested her royalties from late R&B singer Whitney Houston’s rendition of her song “I Will Always Love You,” to purchase a strip mall in Nashville, Tenn. last year in an effort to support the local Black community.