Knoxville, Tenn. (August 28, 2026) — Flowers left in honor of Dolly Parton are finding a new purpose — bringing comfort and joy to patients and seniors across East Tennessee.
Among the volunteers helping make that happen is Megan Dunaway, Community Relations Director at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley Assisted Living and Memory Care, who serves on the board of directors for Random Acts of Flowers and recently volunteered with the nonprofit as it collected and repurposed flowers left at Parton’s statue in Sevierville.
Following Parton’s passing, people left flowers at her statue as a way to say thank you and goodbye to the East Tennessee icon. Rather than allowing those flowers to simply fade away, Random Acts of Flowers volunteers carefully gathered and rearranged the tributes into new bouquets that could be delivered to people in hospitals and nursing homes.
For Dunaway, who works closely with seniors through her role at Morning Pointe, the effort carried an especially meaningful message.
“Each individual bouquet represents one person who either wanted to say thank you or goodbye to Dolly,” Dunaway said in a recent interview with WATE. “Everybody is just so excited that they have a little piece of Dolly, too, that they can share with other people.”
The work gave the flowers — and the emotions behind them — a second life. A bouquet left as a final tribute could soon become a bright spot for someone spending time in a assisted living community, hospital room, or living in a nursing home.
That mission closely reflects Dunaway’s own passion for creating meaningful experiences for older adults and connecting them with their surrounding community. Through her work at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley and her volunteer service with Random Acts of Flowers, she continues to look for ways to bring encouragement and kindness to others.
The flowers are more than arrangements. They carry the stories of the people who brought them to Parton’s statue and now become a gesture of care for someone else — continuing the spirit of generosity that Parton inspired throughout her life.
About Morning Pointe Senior Living
Morning Pointe Senior Living, headquartered in Ooltewah, Tennessee, was founded in 1997 by healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living operates assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in four southeastern states, including GA, IN, KY & TN. For more information, visit morningpointe.com.
The philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living is the Morning Pointe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to provide clinical scholarships and caregiver support.
