Dolly Parton announced that the East Tennessee Children's Hospital is officially being renamed the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital
NEED TO KNOW
"I've always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love. That belief is what brought me together with the incredible folks at East Tennessee Children's Hospital," Parton shared in a video message on Instagram on Thursday, Feb. 26
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Matt Schaefer, president and CEO of Dolly Parton Children's Hospital, said that "this is more than a name change"
Dolly Parton's philanthropic efforts are making another huge leap forward.
The country music icon, 80,shared an Instagram Reelon Thursday, Feb. 26, to announce that the East Tennessee Children's Hospital has officially been renamed the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital.
In a video message shared as a part of her collaborative post with theTodayshow and the official hospital page, Parton started off by noting, "I've always believed that every child deserves a fair chance to grow up healthy, hopeful and surrounded with love. That belief is what brought me together with the incredible folks at East Tennessee Children's Hospital."
"For nearly 90 years, their teams have provided compassionate and talented care. They see children not just as patients, but as precious lives. Each with a story, and a future. I am so excited to share, East Tennessee Children's Hospital is becoming ... guess what? Dolly Parton Children's Hospital. Yay!" Parton continued her loving message.
She then noted that "together, we're committed to strengthening our relationship where world class care and a caring heart go hand in hand for children across East Tennessee and beyond. And I hope that you'll join me in supporting this work."
"I can't do it all myself! I'm going to need you. So when we come together for our children, there's no limit to what we can do. To learn more or to get involved, visit DollyChildrens.org," Parton concluded.
In an additional statement on the renaming shared with PEOPLE, Parton doubled down on the talking points from her Instagram video, adding, "Being fortunate to have grown up in the mountains of East Tennessee, I learned early on what it means to take care of one another."
Advertisement
She continued, "Every child deserves world-class care, wrapped in kindness and love. I'm so honored to stand alongside this hospital and do my part to help bring more hope, more comfort and more healing to children and families."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The East Tennessee Children's Hospital, located in Knoxville, Tenn., first opened in 1937 to serve childhood polio patients in the greater East Tennessee area, and has been continually in operation ever since.
Parton, a native of Sevierville, Tenn., is no stranger to philanthropy, particularly efforts involving children. She famously leads Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a book gifting program that provides literature completely free of cost to children from birth until they start their schooling in participating areas across the U.S. and beyond.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now
"This is more than a name change," Matt Schaefer, president and CEO of Dolly Parton Children's Hospital, said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "With Dolly's support, we are strengthening our mission to deliver world-class pediatric care to families, ensuring every child who walks through our doors receives the treatment they deserve."
Read the original article onPeople
