DOLLY PARTON AND MORE PERFORM DURING DEC. 13 SMOKY MOUNTAINS RISE TELETHON

Great American Country to broadcast benefit for the My People Fund

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016) - Dolly Parton and a number of her friends, including Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss, are set to perform during Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. (EST) on Great American Country (GAC).

The nationally broadcast, three-hour telethon seeks to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton's dinner theaters in the wake of last week's wildfires in the entertainment icon's home area of Sevier County, Tennessee. Smoky Mountains Rise also will be simulcast across multiple radio chains, including iHeart Media's digital and select on-air platforms, Cumulus Media's NASH Nights LIVE, TuneIn's Country Roads channel, and several other platforms which are set to be announced shortly. Additionally, other celebrities joining Smoky Mountains Rise include will be announced in the coming days.

"My home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is some place special," Parton said. "Wildfires have affected many of the people - my people - who live in those beautiful mountains. We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet."

The My People Fund will provide $1000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were completely destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires. Any family who lost their primary residence (renters and homeowners) due to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org.

During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund.

Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the My People Fund may visit dollywoodfoundation.org. For those wishing to send donations via mail, those contributions should be sent to: My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.

Please help the Dollywood Foundation share the word about this effort by using the hashtags #MyPeopleFund and #someplacespecial.

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About Smoky Mountains Rise: Smoky Mountains Rise is a three-hour telethon broadcast nationally on Great American Country on Tuesday, Dec. 13 to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation's My People Fund to benefit those affected by the Sevier County, Tennessee wildfires. Smoky Mountains Rise is executive produced by Dolly Parton, Danny Nozell, Kirt Webster, Pete Owens and Scott Durand. Produced by Edie Hoback, Jeremy Westby, and Shantel Klinger.

About Great American Country: Great American Country delivers lifestyle programming in more than 58 million U.S. households for viewers who want to enjoy the simple life and celebrate the great outdoors. Fans can find out more about Great American Country by using the "Find Us" section on gactv.com. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Great American Country is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., which also owns and operates HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network and Cooking Channel.

About The Dollywood Company: A highly-awarded and widely-recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 150-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood's Splash Country; Dollywood's DreamMore Resort; and Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry's highest accolade; winner of nearly 30 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 25 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). In 2014, Dollywood was named a top three US theme park by USA Today and TripAdvisor recognized Dollywood as a top 20 worldwide theme park in 2015. Dollywood is open nine months a year (late March through early January) and offers rides and attractions, shows, and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood's Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the country's most beautiful waterparks and named 2009's

Must-See Waterpark by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The 300-room Dollywood's DreamMore Resort provides guests spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country. Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.