A lucky British woman who won a £115 million ($156 million) EuroMillions jackpot has generously donated about half of her winnings – inspired in part by country music icon Dolly Parton.

Frances Connolly and her husband, Paddy, made history as the biggest lottery winners in Northern Ireland after winning £114.9 million in the EuroMillions draw on New Year’s Day in 2019.

The former social worker and teacher has dedicated a significant portion of her winnings to philanthropy, establishing the PFC Trust to support community projects in North East England, following in the footsteps of other lottery winners who felt they had more than enough money.

Connolly, who recently celebrated her 60th birthday, shared that the charitable work of the “Queen of Country” had been a source of inspiration for her.

Parton, who passed away last month at the age of 80, was known for her philanthropic efforts, particularly through the Dollywood Foundation, which focuses on childhood literacy, education, disaster relief, and various charitable causes.

Conolly emphasized that once individuals reach a point of having “enough,” it is only natural to share their abundance with others.

The Connollys’ contributions have supported initiatives for young carers, programs to combat loneliness among the elderly, emergency food services, and local sports clubs.

Although giving away a substantial portion of a nine-figure jackpot is uncommon, other lottery winners have gone even further.

Britain’s ‘Lotto Angel’

Ray and Barbara Wragg, from Sheffield, won £7.6 million on the UK National Lottery in 2000 and decided to donate £5.5 million of their winnings.

Barbara, a former hospital worker affectionately known as the “Lotto Angel,” made the decision to allocate much of the money to those in need within an hour of learning about their win.

The beneficiaries included hospitals, cancer charities, hospices, and local children. The couple also sponsored World War II veterans to attend a reunion in Italy commemorating the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Barbara passed away in 2018 at the age of 77.

Couple Gave Away 98%

Canadian couple Allen and Violet Large went even further after winning C$11.25 million (then US$10.9 million) on Lotto 6/49 in 2010.

The retired couple from Nova Scotia kept only 2% of their winnings for themselves after supporting their family, distributing the rest among churches, fire departments, hospitals, cemeteries, and the Canadian Red Cross.

Allen mentioned that they had already saved enough during their working years to sustain themselves in retirement.

$40M Jackpot Donation

Calgary retiree Tom Crist also chose to donate his entire C$40 million (then around US$38.8 million) Lotto Max jackpot in 2013.

Crist, a former electrical company executive, learned of his win while playing golf and decided to give away the jackpot through a family trust, along with the assistance of his children in selecting the recipients.

Following the passing of his wife of 33 years, Jan, due to cancer earlier that year, Crist donated a significant portion to cancer charities, including a substantial contribution to the Calgary cancer center where she received treatment.

Crist explained that his successful career had already provided him with financial security.

While the exact amount of Parton’s charitable contributions during her lifetime remains undisclosed due to her preference for privacy, her well-known Imagination Library has distributed over 300 million free books to children since 1995.