PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Dec. 17, 2015) — Thanks to a combined $500,000 donation from Dixie Stampede and The Dollywood Company, the new Pigeon Forge Boys and Girls Club soon will be reality. Dixie Stampede and Dollywood each donated $250,000 toward the project during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility on Thursday afternoon.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains has received an outpouring of support from the local community, but the donations from Dixie Stampede and Dollywood helped push the club beyond its goal of raising $2 million for the facility.
Jim Rule, Dixie Stampede President, and Jamie Parish, Dixie Stampede General Manager, joined Craig Ross, The Dollywood Company President, and Gene Scherrer, Dollywood General Manager, in making the donation during the ceremony.
“The Boys and Girls Club is an amazing example of an organization which makes a profound impact on the community it serves,” said Rule. “This donation is to benefit a group that provides wonderful services to our hosts’ families and is integral to the quality of life here in Pigeon Forge.”
Mark Ross, Boys and Girls Club Executive Director, said the donation enables the club to provide more area children with important services and programs to help them develop into the community leaders of tomorrow.
“Lady Bird Johnson said ‘Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them,’” said Mark Ross. “The outstanding commitment of Dixie Stampede and Dollywood shows just how much they believe in the future of Pigeon Forge.”
The $500,000 donation is in addition to the amount both properties already provide the club.
The new Pigeon Forge Boys and Girls Club facility, which will be located on property that was once the old city park, is slated to include a gym, recreation room, education and technology center, and more.
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About Dixie Stampede: Billed as “the most fun place to eat in the Smokies,” Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction features a four-course feast and a fantastic, stunt-filled show for all ages. The one-of-a-kind experience begins in the facility’s Dixie Belle Saloon with side-splitting comedy and hard-driving bluegrass and country music from Mountain Ruckus, Dixie Stampede’s house band. Guests then are treated to a spectacular showcase of pageantry as they step inside the 35,000-square-foot main arena to witness expert riders guide 32 magnificent horses, including quarter horses and palominos, through barrel races, flame-engulfed hoops and trick riding, building to a patriotic finale featuring “Color Me America,” a song written for the show by Dolly. Dixie Stampede operates from year-round, with a special Christmas show offered November through early January. For more information, call (865) 453-4400 or visit dixiestampede.com
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 Smoky Mountain Cabins; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, opening in 2015. 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 24 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). In 2014, Dollywood was named a top three theme park by USA Today. Dollywood, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015, 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. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. 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. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Director of Communications, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Amber Davis: Publicist, (865) 428-9601, (865) 591-1002 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston, Publicist, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]