Flowers left in memory of Dolly Parton in Sevierville are getting a second life, carrying a little of the East Tennessee icon’s spirit to people who could use some extra joy.
Following Parton’s passing, admirers placed flowers at her statue as a way to say thank you and goodbye. Instead of allowing those tributes to fade, volunteers with Random Acts of Flowers collected the flowers and transformed them into fresh bouquets for patients and seniors in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living communities.
Among those helping was Megan Dunaway, community relations director at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care. Dunaway also serves on the Random Acts of Flowers board of directors and volunteered as the nonprofit gathered the flowers from Parton’s statue.
For Dunaway, whose work centers on older adults, the project held special meaning.
“Each individual bouquet represents one person who either wanted to say thank you or goodbye to Dolly,” Dunaway told WATE. “Everybody is just so excited that they have a little piece of Dolly, too, that they can share with other people.”
The flowers that began as individual expressions of love and remembrance can now brighten a hospital room or bring a smile to someone living in a senior community.
It is a natural fit for Random Acts of Flowers and for Dunaway, who works to create meaningful experiences for older adults and connect them with the community. Through her work at Morning Pointe and her volunteer service, she continues looking for opportunities to bring encouragement to others.
Morning Pointe Senior Living was founded in 1997 by Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow and operates assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana and Kentucky. Its philanthropic arm, the Morning Pointe Foundation, provides clinical scholarships and caregiver support.
What began as flowers offered in remembrance now carries forward something Parton represented throughout her life: generosity shared with others.
Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our free newsletter. Comments may be sent to news@knoxtntoday.com.
