From Jolene to Dollywood: Luv2meetU group celebrates the life and legacy of Dolly Parton
Our Luv2meetU group swapped their usual ‘Around the World’ adventure for a virtual journey to Dollywood, celebrating Dolly Parton’s music, generosity and remarkable legacy.
Luv2meetU’s online social group took a virtual trip to Dollywood and shared memories of country star Dolly Parton.
The group switched their weekly Around the World session to ‘visit’ the legendary theme park in Tennessee, set up by the music legend who died last month.
Yvonne, who attends the online group, said: “I loved Dolly Parton and I’m so sad she’s gone.”
Each week, members enjoy an opportunity to travel the world together – from the comfort of their own armchair – with group co-ordinator Amy pulling together a presentation about different destinations around the world.
The group enjoy a virtual tour of each location and look at its cuisine, music and culture, as well as any special locations or attractions.
Amy said: “As always, I started the session with a musical clue for our location and as soon as ‘Jolene’ started playing, people quickly realised we were heading off on a Dolly themed adventure.
“We explored Dollywood, learning about the park, it’s rides and some of the delicious food on offer.
“We also tested our Dollywood knowledge with a quiz at the end and everyone did brilliantly.
“We also chatted about how Dollywood came to be.”
Group members discussed Dolly’s philanthropy work and Aidan said: “It was nice to hear how Dolly gave back to her beloved community.
“So many celebrities just give money to charity but Dolly created a whole land for people.”
The group, many of who love reading, also chatted about Dolly’s literacy initiative, The Imagination Library, which has distributed more than 300 million books to children worldwide.
The session gave people the chance to share stories and their favourite Dolly tunes, with Islands in the Stream, 9 to 5 and Jolene in the top three favourites.
The tributes continued in the group’s karaoke session, where two members of the group performed Coat of Many Colours and Islands in the Stream.
