Dolly Parton’s Unique Gift To This Northern Michigan School

Since the passing of the beloved Dolly Parton on Tuesday, a near-endless stream of tributes and stories about people's interactions with the country star has poured in online. To the shock of absolutely no one, the woman with the voice of an angel turned out to be an angel in real life.

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Her small acts of kindness speak most about her heart, and recently a school club in East Jordan, a town west of Boyne City, shared a story of Dolly supporting the "Shoe Club" by sending in one of her own.

Tibrina Hobson, Getty Images

Dolly Parton and the "Shoe Club" in East Jordan, MI

Back in 2008, middle school teacher Matt Hamilton started a club called The Shoe Club that motivates kids to set goals for the future. Upon creating a plan to accomplish 10 life goals, the kids "bring in a shoe for Mr. Hamilton to display in his classroom" and hang them from the ceiling. The shoes are meant to remind students to walk in each other's shoes.

READ MORE: Dolly Parton’s Death Leads To Half-Staff Flags Around Michigan

But along with the middle schoolers' shoes adorning the classroom, Hamilton has reached out to trailblazers from all walks of life to send in a shoe of their own to support their message. People like Steven Spielberg, Michael Jordan, and Tony Hawk have sent in a pair of shoes, and Dolly Parton sent in a pair of shoes in a very Dolly-like way.

Provided by East Jordan Shoe Club

On the Shoe Club's Facebook page, the club shared a story about the time Dolly donated a pair of red high heels from her personal collection that she wore while recording her rock-and-roll album. Several members of Dolly's team initially turned the club down, but when Dolly heard about the club and its goal, she personally donated "something that was meaningful to her."

It shows Dolly's commitment to helping today's youth and her recognition that people need to feel seen, no matter where they are. This is her legacy, and she will be greatly missed.