Country music star and philanthropist Dolly Parton has been awarded a $100m prize by Jeff Bezos.
The multi-billionaire founder of Amazon announced the award alongside his partner, Lauren Sanchez.
Ms Sanchez described Parton as “a woman who gives with her heart and leads with love and compassion in every aspect of her work”.
The Bezos Courage & Civility Award recognises leaders who “pursue solutions with courage and civility”.
“We can’t wait to see all the good that you’re going to do with this $100 million award,” Ms Sanchez said.
We’ve just announced a new Courage and Civility award recipient — @DollyParton, who leads with her heart, and will put this $100 million award to great use helping so many people. She joins prior awardees, @VanJones68 and @Chefjoseandres. Congrats, Dolly! pic.twitter.com/dzTuoGVp3G
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 12, 2022
In a video of the ceremony posted online, Dolly Parton said “Wow! Did you say $100 million?”
“I think people who are in a position to help should put their money where their heart is. I will do my best to do good things with this money,” she added.
The award started in 2001, with prizes going to activist Van Jones and chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, who established World Central Kitchen, which provides food in disaster-stricken areas around the world.
Parton – a singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist – was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month.
She has been a high-profile supporter of charities and founded the Dollywood Foundation, which has given books to children around the world.
Parton has also been a vocal advocate of vaccination against Covid-19.
She supported Moderna’s with a $1m donation for coronavirus research to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Culled from BBC
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")