Proud To Be From Pittsburgh: Celebrating Mr. Rogers' Biggest Value

PITTSBURGH, PA. — Children and a dog wearing a sweater celebrated the Mr. Rogers trifecta Friday in Pittsburgh. Friday, November 13 is when World Kindness Day coincides with King Friday the XIII’s birthday and the annual Cardigan Day.

A festive event on Fifth Avenue in Oakland is making us proud to be from Pittsburgh. WQED, where Fred Rogers shot his show, held the event. Employees wore their favorite cardigans in honor of Mr. Rogers, and King Friday’s castle was on display along busy Fifth Avenue in Oakland. The castle was used in the major motion picture “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” starring Tom Hanks.

King Fridays' birthday happens whenever there is a Friday the 13th. WQED Host Chris Fennimore says some years there are numerous Friday the 13ths, and other years there can be one or even none. Fennimore said 2020 was special because World Kindness Day, which is always November 13, fell on a Friday.

Fennimore says 2020 has been a tough year, and that Mr. Rogers’s message needs to resonate more than ever before.

“When children experience things that we are experiencing now, or any crisis that we are experiencing in our lives, they needed grown ups to explain these kinds of things you can’t explain this,” said Fennimore. “But what we can do is show them kindness and make them aware of the power of kindness and their part in that.”

Amy Pierce of North Hills just moved back to Pittsburgh with her two young children and loved having the drive-through event to take them to. “It’s the most important thing right now, to show kindness to each other in this world today,” she said.

Drivers had to remain in their cars during the free event. Kindness bags were given to each vehicle, and some children in the cars even sang “Happy Birthday”.

The yearly Cardigan Day tradition is an event WQED started three years ago, asking “neighbors” to support kindness by donning their cardigans and using social media to post photos with the hashtag #CardiganDay. Last year, Cardigan Day blew up social media, trending as number one, as cardigan-wearing babies, pets, and entire classrooms of students overtook Facebook and Twitter.

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