Sweater drive to aid those in need

The Arkansas Educational Television Network and the Bainum Library and Learning Center in Glenwood have partnered to hold 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 through Nov. 29. Area residents are asked to donate new or gently worn sweaters at Bainum Library and Learning Center, 210 N. Second St., Glenwood. A receptacle to collect the sweaters will be located prominently within the library. Sweaters collected during the drive will be distributed by the Arkansas Salvation Army.

“‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ has long been a place where caring and consideration for others instills good feelings in all of us,” AETN Executive Director Allen Weatherly said in a news release. “These messages and the values that children learn from the program and from PBS icon Fred Rogers are timeless.

“Fred Rogers’ cardigan has come to represent the gentle spirit, warmth and nurturing of the neighborhood. As Mister Rogers himself once said, ‘All of us, at some time or other, need help, and whether we’re giving or receiving a sweater, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.’ This project connects Arkansans as neighbors.”

To help set the tone for a “comfortable” visit with his young viewers, Rogers put on a sweater and changed into sneakers as a way 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’ longest-running children’s series, earned four Daytime Emmy Awards. 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.

“We are excited to participate in this wonderful community event,” librarian Marjorie Melichar said in the release. “The Bainum Library and Learning Center is proud to host a Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive and further our mission to serve our community by providing warmth, aid and assistance to our neighbors in the Glenwood area and across Arkansas.”

Bainum Library and Learning Center is one of 15 libraries across Arkansas participating in this year’s statewide Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive.