April Taylor

[Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol]

In 1988 Dolly Parton pulled every 7th and 8th grader in Sevier County into a room and told them to pick a buddy.

She made them sign a contract.. if BOTH graduate, she hands you both $500. One fails, nobody gets paid.

The county dropout rate went from 35% to 6%.

She handed out the checks herself.

In 1989 she offered $500 to every kid in the county who wanted to go to the local college.

When Gatlinburg burned in 2016, she sent 900 families $1,000 a month for six months.

You've probably heard that part.

Here's the part you haven't:

The fund raised more than expected, so she showed up in May and handed every one of those families another $5,000 on top.

Then she quietly put $3 million into the recovery group that handles the years after the news trucks leave.

She built her county an entire hospital.

She played a benefit concert in 2007, Dollywood and the Stampede matched it, and LeConte Medical Center opened in 2010 with a birthing unit and a women's center in it.

In 2022 she started covering 100% of tuition, books, and fees for Dollywood employees.

Full-time, part-time, AND seasonal.

In 1991 she paid for a bald eagle sanctuary because the birds couldn't be released back into the wild, no press release.

And when Hurricane Helene came through here in Western North Carolina, she wrote a personal check for $1 million and her companies matched it.

She didn't owe North Carolina anything, but she helped us anyway.

She started the Imagination Library because her daddy couldn't read or write. Before he passed, he told her it was the most important thing she ever did.

Rest in Peace, Dolly 🇺🇸

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

@STCoachMele This is wonderful news! Prayers answered.

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

And on June 29th you can go to this any of these fancy restaurants in Louisiana with bread as nice as bread can be to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics ! You’ll leave a tip because you want to!

[Dante 🇺🇸 @DanteTheDon]

Was not ready for Eric Church to deliver the best commencement speech I’ve ever heard.

Six guitar strings. Six pillars of a life.

Faith. Family. Spouse. Ambition. Community. You.

Tune them when you’re whole, not just when you’re broken.

Watch the whole thing.

[SportsCenter @SportsCenter]

Madden Orlovsky had a heartfelt message for his family and friends in honor of World Autism Awareness Day 🥹

This was a special moment for all of us at ESPN. Thanks, Madden and @danorlovsky7 ❤️

[Vince Langman @LangmanVince]

Works on us every time! 🤣

[Special Olympics Louisiana @SOLouisiana]

Don’t worry about cooking tonight—grab a sub at Jersey Mike’s instead!

Today is Jersey Mike's Subs Day of Giving, where 100% of your purchase goes directly to Special Olympics USA Games & SOLA.
#JerseyMikes #DayOfGiving #SpecialOlympics #TeamLouisiana #2026USAGames

[Special Olympics Louisiana @SOLouisiana]

The countdown is ON. In just 48 hours, every sub, chip, and drink you buy helps athletes reach their dreams. Let's show the country how Louisiana gives back! #2DaysToGo #MonthOfGiving

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

Love this! https://t.co/OAPNfoR1lj

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

So this is what I get to be a part of at Special Olympics every day and it really is the best! Check out that crowd! And the shift in how “different” is used. All because someone gave him a chance. Doesn’t everyone deserve that?

[Logan Simmons @CoachLSimmons]

Finish empty every day.
Show up. Give your best. Strive to be the best you that you can be. Live with no regrets.

Have to know your “why.” You can’t drift to a desired destination. Your why is what drives you.

Live with “Kaizen” — commitment to continuous improvement.

Be honest with yourself, but be fearless! Don’t be afraid to fail. Understand that you either do/win or you learn.

Strive to be better. Ask yourself, “Is there a better way to do this?” Don’t get stuck doing something because you’ve always done it that way. Find the best way and give your all.

Be 1% better everyday!

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

@STCoachMele Our prayers are with your family!

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

@CoachStolberg God please heal Maddie and be with her and her family in this time of need.

[Justin Stolberg @CoachStolberg]

Eric is one of the best men I’ve been around. From coaching me while at Mississippi State to now working together at South Flordia. He and his family have been through so much. Please consider helping in any way possible. https://t.co/iaTwnq0pJ9

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

@Ianfitzespn Good for him and good for you! Sounds like a great kid.

[South Florida Football @USFFootball]

Our crew on offense 💪

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

@Joseph_Duarte Praying!

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

@BSiegristUSF This is awesome!

[April Taylor @apriltaylor71]

So thankful @CoachStolberg is with this program. I appreciate the commitment of the coaches and the importance of buying into a program culture!

[ESPN College Football @ESPNCFB]

"This ain't the same old South Florida, my brother."

USF coach Alex Golesh pays homage to Amir Abdur-Rahim after upsetting No. 13 Florida in the Swamp ❤️

[South Florida Athletics @USFAthletics]

🗣️ @KirkHerbstreit: “You could make an argument that the Bulls were as impressive in week one as anybody that played college football.”