2020 in review: How celebrities such as Dolly Parton and John Krasinski tried to brighten the year

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This combination photo shows John Krasinski, from left, Dolly Parton and Christian Siriano. They are among those in the entertainment industry who took the initiative to make the best out of a challenging year. (AP Photo) — Yes, 2020 may seem like a complete fail with all the constant bad news and tragic moments. It’s been filled with gloom and doom(scrolling), but some celebrities and those inspired by them have tried to brighten a bleak year. Here are a few examples of those efforts to make 2020 a little better for others. Image Credit: AP

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DOLLY’S VACCINE DONATION: In April, shortly after the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, country music icon Dolly Parton donated $1 million toward researching the virus at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer’s donation was used to help fund the development of Moderna’s vaccine, the second experimental COVID-19 drug to yield extraordinarily strong early results during trials. Parton didn’t stop there. She starred in Dolly Parton’s ‘Christmas on the Square,’ playing an angel in the Netflix musical. She also put out new holiday music, ‘A Holly Dolly Christmas’ with a same-titled TV special where she sang hymns, holiday pop classics and tunes from her new album, and shared her personal and faith-based Christmas memories. And if that wasn’t enough, she had time to help Cyndi Lauper’s annual concert to combat youth homelessness, too. Image Credit: AP

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