Dec. 13, 2024
Local charities to distribute warm clothing to those in need as winter season begins
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — Arkansas PBS and more than 85 libraries, schools and organizations across the state have collected more than 5,400 sweaters, coats and other cold-weather items in the 2024 Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive held Nov. 1-30 as a tribute to Fred Rogers and his example of being a caring neighbor. The number of items collected are now being distributed by various local charities as the winter season begins.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Arkansas PBS community, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve collected more than 5,400 sweaters and cold-weather clothing items during this year’s Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Sweater Drive,” Arkansas PBS CEO and Executive Director Courtney Pledger said. “This remarkable effort reflects the kindness and compassion of our neighbors, helping thousands of Arkansans stay warm this winter. Together, we continue to honor Mister Rogers' legacy of caring for one another."
During the Neighborhood Sweater Drive, members of the community donated new or gently worn sweaters, as well as other cold-weather clothing, at participating libraries, businesses and schools. Every item is then distributed through a variety of charities in the towns where they were collected.
“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.”
Walmart is the supporting sponsor for the statewide Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive. 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.
Over the course of 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 PBS
Arkansas 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/live, 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), KETS (Yancy) and KETS (Gaither).
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