Repurposing with a Purpose

• Ellen Liston

The week surrounding the opening of a big attraction like the new Big Bear Mountain roller coaster, combined with a visit from our Dreamer-in-Chief Dolly, is a whirlwind. The days after all the excitement is spent catching up and getting “back to normal.” But for the past several years after Dolly has visited the park, it also has been a time for taking some of the beauty that surrounds such a special time and sharing it with the community, specifically sending out thousands of beautiful blooms to others.

When Dolly visits her park, she takes a tour throughout Dollywood in an antique Dewitt car. In 2021, VP of Guest Experience Cyndi McCormack thought that decorating the Dewitt with flowers would add not only to the visual appeal of the car but to the experience for both Dolly and park guests. “We thought it would make it like the Dollywood version of the Rose Parade with a Smoky Mountain twist,” Cyndi recalled. The blooming additions were a hit with all, and after the parade, the beauty of so many flowers remained. “I have been a fan of Random Acts of Flowers for some time and thought that they would be the perfect place to send all these beautiful flowers,” she said. So with Senior Marketing Manager Carol Agee, who handles Dollywood’s community relations, a partnership was forged to repurpose the beautiful flowers that had brought beauty to Dolly’s park tours to now bring their sweetness to residents at area nursing homes and hospital patients.

Dollywood hosts took part in putting together dozens of arrangements after the park’s latest donation to Random Acts of Flowers following the opening of Big Bear Mountain and a Dolly tour through the park on May 12. Members of several Dollywood teams headed to Knoxville to the non-profit’s offices and became floral arrangers for the afternoon. “It is such a blessing to work for a company that not only donates resources to help the community but also encourages its employees to give back,” Carol said.  “What a treat it was to have time together with co-workers putting together bouquets that will put a smile on others’ faces when they see their flower deliveries!”

So next time you host a birthday party or have flowers left over from a wedding or other big event, consider donating the flowers to Random Acts of Flowers. You can find out more about this fragrant non-profit organization at https://rafknoxville.org. It’s repurposing with a purpose.