SEVIERVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dolly Parton invites up to six fans to tour several of her Nashville properties in an unprecedented live auction item, the High Rise HideAway Getaway, for the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation’s annual Evening of Elegance fundraiser on Aug. 11.
For the first time, Parton’s auction item will be available simultaneously for online bidders and those attending Evening of Elegance.
“The Dr. Thomas Foundation has been so good to me and my family over the years, and I wanted to do something special that would help further their work in Sevier County,” Parton said. “I’m gonna drag this year’s winners all over Nashville to some of my private homes, my office, my tour bus plus see some places in Music City that are very near and dear to me. It’s something I’ve never done before, and I think it’s going to be really special. And we’re gonna eat, too!”
Parton’s High Rise HideAway Getaway includes an itinerary for up to six people:
- accommodations for up to six overnight guests provided at the High Rise HideAway;
- Parton greets the group with a stretch limousine;
- Parton personally guides her guests on a tour of Nashville landmarks and locations of personal interest to her including the location of her first apartment; the spot where Parton met her husband at the Wishy Washy Laundromat; the first house she and Dean purchased which is where she wrote so many of her hits, including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “Love Is Like a Butterfly,”
- drive by RCA studio, where Parton recorded so many of her hits as well as her duets with Porter Wagoner, the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry House, as time permits;
- a tour of Parton’s lake house; a visit to Parton’s private Nashville estate in Brentwood. To preserve Carl Dean’s privacy, there are no plans to tour Dolly’s personal residence.
- return to Dolly’s High Rise HideAway where Parton hosts a catered dinner for her guests;
- after dinner, guests can enjoy time on their own to see the sights in downtown Nashville or just kick back and relax in Dolly’s High Rise HideAway;
- guests will spend the night in the High Rise HideAway. Parton will not stay at the High Rise HideAway;
- The following morning, Parton and her guests return to Parton’s Inca Hoots compound for a tour, which includes Parton’s tour bus; followed by a catered breakfast there.
The High Rise HideAway Getaway will be coordinated between the winner and Parton’s availability.
The High Rise HideAway Getaway will be offered online at www.thompsoncarrauctions.com on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Online bidding begins on the site at 8 a.m. on Aug. 9. Online bidders can register and pre-qualify beginning Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Jamie Carr or Stephanie Whaley at (865) 774-5789. Simultaneous live bidding takes place at the Evening of Elegance fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Sevierville Events Center.
“Dolly has been such a generous supporter of the Dr. Thomas Foundation,” said Debbie Dowling, Executive Director of the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation. “But this year’s auction item simply blew us away! As a fan myself, I can’t imagine going on an adventure like this with Dolly! Just to know that Dolly is willing to open her office, her homes, her bus, but most especially her heart to the Dr. Thomas Foundation and her fans just shows what a remarkable woman she is.”
In 2009 and 2010, Parton offered a Backwoods Barbie-Q which generated $75,000 and $90,000, respectively, each year.
Parton, one of the many babies delivered by Dr. Thomas, is the foundation’s honorary chairperson.
Established in 1983, the not-for-profit Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation continues the legacy of the man who came to Sevier County in 1926 to serve in the dual role of minister and family physician.
The foundation’s mission is to help expand the range and quality of health care services available in Sevier County, including a $10 million capital campaign to fund the construction of the new LeConte Medical Center which opened in February.
Tickets for the Evening of Elegance event are $200 per person and may be purchased by contacting Amy Woods, Development Specialist, at (865) 446-9628.
For more information or to cover this event, please contact Amy Kingery at (865) 446-9628.