There couldn’t be a more fitting date for this announcement. Today is September 25, or 9/25, and of course, Disney is using the date’s connection to Dolly Parton‘s beloved 9 to 5 to celebrate her life, career, and extraordinary legacy of giving back.
The newly restored 20th Century Studios classic 9 to 5 is heading back to movie theaters for a special one-week engagement from October 9 through October 15. Tickets are now on sale nationwide, and this rerelease comes with an especially meaningful detail. Disney will donate net proceeds from every U.S. ticket purchased to The Dollywood Foundation in support of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the literacy program that provides free books to children.
The announcement arrives on the first “Give Like Dolly Day,” which will now be observed annually on September 25. The new annual observance celebrates Parton’s commitment to helping children and encourages others to carry forward her message to “Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More.”
Disney’s celebration will continue in October with a previously announced television special. CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton will be filmed at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville and air live October 21 on ABC. The two-hour special will feature performances, archival footage, and personal stories looking back at Parton’s life and career.
The special will also stream on Disney+ in the U.S. and internationally, with Hulu availability beginning the following day. The Country Music Association and Belmont University will make a donation from proceeds to the Imagination Library, and Disney says it is providing additional support for the literacy program as well.
Between the return of 9 to 5, the new annual Give Like Dolly Day, and the upcoming television celebration, Disney is putting the spotlight on both sides of Parton’s legacy: the entertainer generations of fans fell in love with and the humanitarian who spent decades helping children discover a love of reading.
And really, if you’re going to choose a date to celebrate Dolly, 9/25 is the one.
The post Disney Celebrates Dolly Parton With a Special 9/25 Tribute first appeared on The DIS.
