Dolly Parton Visits Old High School

Monday, August 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) â€” Dolly Parton appeared at her former high school to congratulate the football team on its first-ever state championship and announce plans for a scholarship contribution.

``I know it ain't just dreams that earn'' a state title, she said Saturday at Sevier County High School, presenting a gleaming gold trophy to the team captains at the season's first game.

The Dollywood Foundation, which raises money for education in her native Sevier County, will match any individual contributions to the high school alumni association. It hopes to build a fund large enough to award scholarships to every graduating senior.

Parton graduated from Sevier County High School in 1964. Although she moved to Nashville to pursue a country music career, her parents and other relatives still live in the county.

Parton has since boosted the county financially with ventures such as her Dollywood theme park and she continues to pump money into its education system. A $500,000 gift from her foundation in 1992 was the largest grant the school system had ever received.