CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) – Arkansas PBS and Warren Branch Library have partnered to sponsor a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive as a tribute to Fred Rogers and his example of being a caring neighbor. The drive will be held Nov. 5-30.
“Fred Rogers’ cardigan sweater has come to represent the gentle spirit, warmth and nurturing of the neighborhood,” Arkansas PBS CEO Courtney Pledger said. “Arkansas PBS is proud to further his legacy by working with outstanding library and charity partners across the state through the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive.”
During the Neighborhood Sweater Drive, members of the community are asked to donate new or gently worn sweaters, as well as other cold-weather clothing, at Warren Branch Library, 115 W. Cypress St. Warren, AR. Sweaters collected in this drive will be distributed by Church of Christ in Warren, AR
“Warren is special because we all pull together to take care of our neighbors,” Warren Branch Library Manager Sandy Doss said. “It’s our community’s love and care for others that inspired the Warren Branch Library to participate in the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive. This is our way of giving back to our neighbors and showing how much we care for those in need.”
Warren Branch Library is one of more than 45 libraries across Arkansas participating in this year’s statewide Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive. A complete list of libraries and additional information is available at myarpbs.org/sweaterdrive.
“All of us, at some time or other, need help,” Fred Rogers said. “And, whether we’re giving or receiving a sweater, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.
“That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors – in our way, everyone is a giver and receiver.”
Additional information is available at myarpbs.org/sweaterdrive.
To help set the tone for a “comfortable” visit with his young viewers, Rogers put on a sweater and changed into sneakers to help children settle in for “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” All of Rogers’ original sweaters were knitted by his mother, Nancy McFeely Rogers. Each year, she knitted a dozen sweaters and gave them to family and close friends at Christmas.
For more than 40 years, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” PBS’s longest-running children’s series, earned four Daytime Emmys. As a testament to his legacy, Rogers received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and was recognized in 2002 with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his contributions to children’s development and education using broadcast television.
The Fred Rogers Company was founded by Rogers in 1971 as the nonprofit producer of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for PBS. In the years that followed, it not only created hundreds of episodes, but it also extended Rogers’ values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional and behavioral health and supporting parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals in their work with children. The Fred Rogers Company continues to build on his legacy through a wide variety of media and by engaging new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. Additional information is available at FredRogers.org.
About Arkansas PBSArkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, empowers learners of all ages by educating, informing, entertaining and inspiring communities. Arkansas PBS serves as a daily and essential resource for Arkansans by creating, sharing, celebrating and driving conversation around Arkansas stories and classic, trusted PBS programs through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarpbs.org/watch, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado), KETS (Lee Mountain), KETS (Forrest City) and KETS (Gaither).