Annual Mister Rogers Sweater Drive Kicks Off At Children's Museum

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -Mister Rogers opened every show by singing about it being a beautiful day in the neighborhood and nearly 50 years after the show first aired, his message lives on.

Today the Children's Museum on the North Side kicked off the annual sweater drive.

Few things say Pittsburgh like the name Fred Rogers.

"We started on our 30th anniversary of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and Fred wanted to do something significant, and he said, 'Let's have a sweater drive.' It makes sense. He wanted to be able to give back to the community and it's just being a good neighbor," Mr. McFeely said.

Now in its 15th year, the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Sweater drive is underway at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

Dozens of kids from Pittsburgh Public Schools Headstart made the first donations of the season.

"Fred Rogers taught us that the importance of our neighborhoods, reaching out to our neighborhoods in a way in which we can help one another and when we can involve children in the process, it's a terrific thing," Bill Schlageter, of the Children's Museum, said.

They clearly understand the importance of sharing and giving.

"It's cold weather outside and people need to stay warm," Andrew Wodesky said.

"I think because they understand what wanting something is more that they don't always get what they want. So, they understand and they want to help others and they have that caring instinct and want to help others," Patti Bartolli said.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is all of western Pennsylvania. Since its inception in 2000, more than 30,000 sweaters have been donated.

This year, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Presbytery and the Vietnam Vets of America will pass them out.

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