Country music icons, including Dolly Parton, Morgan Wallen and Eric Church, are pledging their support to those affected by Hurricane Helene and are helping with relief efforts.
Parton donated $1 million to Hurricane Helene relief efforts, the country music star announced Friday. The country music star’s Dollywood added $1 million to the relief fund, donating to The Mountain Way Foundation.
On Friday, Walmart CEO John Furner joined the musician to explain why the company has set up resources across the affected states, providing showers and other supplies to Americans displaced by Hurricane Helene.
“I’m happy to be here,” Parton said at the press conference. “And I’m sure a lot of you are wondering where I’ve been. Everybody’s saying, ‘Where’s Dolly? Well, I’ve been like everybody else, trying to absorb everything going on, trying to figure out all the best ways to do this.”
MORGAN WALLEN DONATES TO HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF, SAYS FAMILY IS ‘SAFE’ AMID DEVASTATING FLOODS
Wallen donated $500,000 to the Red Cross via the Morgan Wallen Foundation. The money will go to helping those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene’s destruction.
“We can’t thank Morgan Wallen enough for his heart and generous $500,000 donation to impact help on the ground now in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, including his beloved East Tennessee,” Trevor Riggin, Red Cross national president for humanitarian services said in a statement.
The “Last Night” singer grew up in Tennessee, graduating from Gibbs High School in Knox County. In an Instagram story posted Sept. 29, Wallen shared an update about the safety of his family and sent his “prayers” to those who weren’t as lucky.
“My family in East Tennessee are safe but I know many are absolutely devastated there and in multiple states. All my prayers are geared towards those tonight,” Wallen wrote. “Those hills and hollers are very important to me in so many ways. It is going to take a monumental effort and I am in contact with my team and others working on ways I can help.”
On Friday, the Morgan Wallen Foundation and Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee announced a “HELP” campaign, which will raise funds and collect food for Hurricane Helene victims in East Tennessee and in western North Carolina.
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There is a scheduled food and water drive being held in Knoxville Oct. 9, and volunteers will be packing disaster relief boxes for victims.
Wallen has also created a “HELP” T-shirt, with 100% of the artist’s proceeds going to the Morgan Wallen Foundation for Hurricane Helene’s relief fund, the country music star shared on Instagram Friday.
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Scotty McCreery was a guest on “America’s Newsroom” Thursday to raise awareness about the impact Hurricane Helene has had on his home state of North Carolina.
“It’s not good. And I’ve got lifelong friends that are up there. Me and my wife got engaged, married there. We named our son after Avery County. They’re telling me whatever you’re hearing on social media or whatever you’re seeing on the news, it’s worse. It’s just unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” McCreery told hosts Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer.
WATCH: North Carolinians are ‘coming together’ after Hurricane Helene: Scotty McCreery
Eric Church shared that he will be transferring all the publishing royalties for his new song, “Darkest Hour,” to the people of his home state of North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital Friday.
“From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted,” Church stated in the release. “Specifically in the area that I’m from, the mountains of Western North Carolina were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they’re our friends, they’re our neighbors – and they’re in dire need of help.
“I’ve been in the studio for a while, trying some different things and exploring creativity,” he continued. “I had this song that I’d written, and the line that struck me in light of the recent devastation was ‘I’ll come running,’ because there are a lot of people out there right now who are in their darkest hour, and they need people to come running.
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“We were going to wait to release music until next year, but it just didn’t feel right to wait with this song,” he added. “Sometimes you give songs their moment and sometimes they find their own moment.”
Church said this song was “the best way” he could think of to help those in dire need.
“We’ve been helping with boots on the ground efforts, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery,” he said. “This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully ‘Darkest Hour’ will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come. This song goes to my home, North Carolina, now and forever.”
The song, Church said, is dedicated to “the unsung heroes, the people who show up when the world’s falling apart.”
HURRICANE HELENE: NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS FIGHT FOR THEIR SURVIVAL AS BASIC GOODS BECOME SCARCE
“This is for the folks who show up in the hardest times, offering a hand when it’s most needed, and standing tall when others can’t,” he continued. “Even in your darkest hour, they come running. When the night’s at its blackest, this is for those who are holding the light, guiding the lost and pulling us through.
“The message of the song specifically in this time is about Hurricane Helene and the people that need help, but in a broader view, it’s about any challenging times that we have in our life, which we’ll all have,” he concluded. “And it’s always important to know that in your darkest hour, there are people that will come running, there are people that will help. And I think it’s also important to be one of the people that go running when other people need help.”
In a video message posted to YouTube Friday, Church also asked fans and followers to help him “gain as much exposure” for the devastation and do what they can to help, including donating to his Chief Cares fund, which is directing all its charitable efforts to the communities directly affected by the destruction.
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Luke Combs is also taking action to help Hurricane Helene victims. On Sept. 28, Combs took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a message of support to those affected.
“Absolutely heartbroken for everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene,” Combs began.
“Especially my folks in Western North Carolina. Me and my team have been making some calls and I think we’ve got something really special lined up to help the Carolinas as much as we can. More details to come ASAP.”
Miranda Lambert and her MuttNation Foundation are making sure animals affected by Hurricane Helene are being taken care of.
On Oct. 2, Lambert took to social media to share she and MuttNation have donated $100,000 to the relief efforts.
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“My heart breaks for the people and pets impacted by Hurricane Helene. In situations like this, a lot of people ask me how they can help. We’ve already provided nearly $100,000 to help through our @muttnation-@tractorsupply Relief for Rescues Fund,” the caption said.
HGTV star Ben Napier took to Instagram last week to share his connection to the areas in North Carolina and Tennessee hit the worst by Hurricane Helene.
“Growing up, the Smokies of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee were heaven for my brothers and me. The first vacation I can remember was to this part of our great country. I went to church camp at @lakejunaluska every summer, and continued as a youth minister,” his caption began.
“This place is a part of mine and @erinapier’s love story.”
He also shared links to several organizations, including Manna Food Bank, Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, and Mountain Projects, if his fans wanted to donate.
“Glee” star Matthew Morrison took to Instagram to share that, in 2022, he and his family moved to Asheville, North Carolina, one of the areas heavily damaged by Hurricane Helene.
“It was a time when I was going through deep personal and professional turmoil. And somehow, by some grace, that city—its mountains, its art, its people—held me in a way that made me feel safe when everything felt like it was falling apart. I can honestly say that Asheville saved me,” Morrison’s caption continued.
“I finally heard from my mom after days of silence. The fear in those days, of not knowing, was paralyzing. It’s not just property and roads—it’s lives. My heart breaks for the artists in the River Arts District who have lost everything. Almost every gallery, every studio, washed away. Their life’s work, their passion—gone.”
Morrison urged his peers to “step up and help raise awareness” for the victims suffering after Hurricane Helene.
“Schools have been destroyed. Children will be out of school for months. A close friend told me she’s terrified to break the news to her child—that their teacher didn’t survive. How do you even find the words to say something like that?” he wrote. “I just keep inhaling… and exhaling… trying to process it all. Asheville gave me so much when I needed it most, and now, I feel called to give back. I hope that those who hear this, especially artists from all over, will step up and help raise awareness. Asheville needs us.”
According to FOX Weather, the death toll rose to 230, with nearly half of those deaths in North Carolina. The hurricane first made landfall on the Gulf Coast in Florida and continued to wreak havoc across the Southeast.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in areas of western North Carolina that were isolated after catastrophic flooding destroyed hundreds of roads and bridges.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz, Lori Bashian and Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
