PITTSBURGH – Since 2014, WQED Multimedia has collaborated with community partners to celebrate neighborliness and kindness through Be My Neighbor Day. Inspired by Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the beloved PBS KIDS series from Fred Rogers Productions, this annual event aims to encourage local volunteerism and foster family engagement and community development, while striving to support diversity, equity and inclusion.
WQED and Fred Rogers Productions, supported by PNC Grow Up Great, invite neighbors to attend Be My Neighbor Day in the community of Canonsburg. The free event takes place Saturday, March 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“It is exciting to bring Be My Neighbor Day to Canonsburg as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of these engaging community events,” said Paul Siefken, president and CEO of Fred Rogers Productions. “We are proud to work with both WQED and PNC Grow Up Great to help inspire kindness and connection in neighborhoods all over Southwestern PA.”
This year’s event will incorporate a walking history of Canonsburg that leads to four different activity hubs:
- Frank Sarris Public Library, 35 N Jefferson Ave., Canonsburg, PA 15317
- ARC Human Services, 111 W Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317
- Canonsburg UP Church, 112 W Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317
- Canonsburg Senior Center, 30 E Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317
Each activity hub will feature information about services within the community, activities for family participation, and opportunities to give back.
A great way to share kindness is through sharing traditions. As families visit the four activity hubs and locations, they will experience a presentation about something meaningful to the community, including a history of Canonsburg’s popular Fourth of July parade. Each location will offer a Daniel Tiger-themed activity, along with the opportunity to contribute a page to a family journal, which will help them identify and document their own family traditions.
Noteworthy to each venue are posters created by local children about why they love living in Canonsburg. Families will also have the opportunity to create a piece of community art, which will be dedicated and displayed at the Canonsburg Senior Center. There are few stories more delicious than that of the history of the Pittsburgh Cookie Table. Following that presentation, families can decorate cookies, adding to a collection that will be donated to local first responders.
Those interested in attending can learn more on the Be My Neighbor website: wqed.org/bemyneighborday.
About WQED
WQED Multimedia starts conversations and creates experiences that educate, entertain and inspire our neighbors in Pittsburgh and across southwest Pennsylvania. Founded in 1954 as an experiment in educational community-supported television, WQED was a forerunner to PBS.
Our content creators produce impactful stories that delve into the rich mosaic of our region’s past, present, and future. We cover a wide range of topics, from arts and culture to pressing societal issues that impact our lives. We profile remarkable individuals and organizations who work to strengthen our communities. Our Learning Neighborhoods support children, in partnership with area schools and libraries, and extend to high school students exploring media careers through the WQED Film Academy. Known as “The Voice of the Arts,” WQED-FM provides a vital platform that amplifies our vibrant and diverse cultural assets, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
WQED Multimedia operates WQED-TV (PBS); WQED World; WQED Create; WQED Showcase; WQED PBS KIDS Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel; plus various streams, apps, and interactive experiences.
About Fred Rogers Productions
Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly rated children’s series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 30 Emmy® Awards among other important honors. The company’s latest series are Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and Alma’s Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano. Fred Rogers Productions strives to inspire a lifelong enthusiasm for learning through its series as well efforts beyond broadcast including games and interactive offerings, community engagement activities, and much more. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the first original series from Fred Rogers Productions since Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, brings the children’s television pioneer’s legacy to life for a whole new generation of young viewers on PBS KIDS. Every episode of the well-loved series showcases two distinct stories starring 4-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends, who invite viewers to join them as they explore the colorful Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Irresistible musical strategies reinforce the unique theme of each show; preschoolers and parents can sing along and incorporate them into their daily lives. Executive producers are Angela C. Santomero, chief creative officer at 9 Story Media Group; Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer of Fred Rogers Productions; and Vince Commisso, president & CEO, 9 Story Media Group.
About PNC Grow Up Great
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.