Today is the third annual Mr. Rogers Cardigan Day, so in honor of our favorite hometown hero, wear a cardigan and be kind to your neighbors.
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Slip on your sweaters because today is the third annual Mr. Rogers Cardigan Day, and it's the best one yet. Not only is it Mr. Rogers Cardigan Day, but it's also World Kindness Day and King Friday XIII's birthday. To honor everyone's hometown hero, and the ruler of Mr. Rogers' Land of Make-Believe, snuggle up in your favorite cardigan and be kind to your neighbors near and far. You can also drive by the 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' castle in front of the WQED building in Oakland from 10AM-2PM. WQED, home of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, will also be giving out kid's kindness bags stuffed with snacks, Sarris chocolates, and crown-making materials.
If you can't make it to the WQED building, you can get involved on social media. Take a selfie and tag it with #CardiganDay, and again, be kind to those around you. Thanks to Mr. Rogers, we're all neighbors here in Pittsburgh.
In honor of Mr. Rogers, I'll leave you with my favorite video from his show. In this video, Mr. Rogers sings his song 'It's You I Like' to his friend, Jeff Erlanger. As an infant, Erlanger had a spinal tumor that left him quadriplegic and, before he had spinal surgery at age 5, he told his parents that he wanted to meet Mr. Rogers. When he was 10, his wish came true, and he explained the necessity of his electric wheelchair on Mr. Rogers' show. They sang 'It's You I Like', and Mr. Rogers liked the segment so much that he often used it in speeches about being comfortable with yourself. Likewise, Tom Hanks, who played Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, cites the segments as one of the reasons he signed on to do the movie. Watch the clip for yourself, and then their reunion later in life:
Rest in peace, Mr. Rogers. Today, we'll honor you with our cardigans.