‘I Love You': Pennsylvania Holds Day of Kindness to Honor Mister Rogers
Rogers used the number 143 to say 'I love you,' as each digit reflects the number of letters in each word in the phrase
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Pennsylvania is honoring the legacy of Mister (Fred) Rogers by asking people to do acts of kindness and love on May 23rd.
Mister Rogers would have liked it: a day to be extra kind to your neighbors.
The day was Friday -- Pennsylvania’s second annual 1-4-3 Day, an occasion when state officials encourage people to share their acts of kindness and gratitude. This year, a focus was first responders and essential workers who are at high-risk of contagion during the coronavirus pandemic.
The initiative began in 2019 when Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf declared the 143rd day of the year a day of kindness in honor of the state’s beloved kindness patron and promoter, Fred Rogers, who spent most of his life in and around Pittsburgh. The number had special meaning to Rogers, reflecting the number of letters in his favorite phrase, “I love you.”
This year, the state launched a website asking residents to share their good deeds -- from buying a meal for a neighbor to writing a thank you note for a mail deliver -- under the hashtag #143DayInPA.
Jim Judkis/Focus Features via AP
It's a beautiful day in Mister Rogers' neighborhood! But if you want to visit, you'll have to head to Pennsylvania. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the classic PBS children's television show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," hosted by the late Fred Rogers. A new documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" has helped rekindle interest in his legacy. Those who grew up watching the show, which aired from 1968 to 2001, along with fans of the new film, may want to plan a trip on Pennsylvania's Fred Rogers Trail.
Laurel Highlands Visitor's Bureau via AP
The three-day itinerary, promoted by VisitPA.com, ranges from Pittsburgh, where the show was produced, to Rogers' hometown of Latrobe, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) away, including museums, memorials, and his childhood home and church.
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh via AP
The trail comes with an invitation to "lace up your tennis shoes" and "zip up your cardigan," just like Mister Rogers did in the introduction to every episode.
Senator John Heinz History Center via AP
In Pittsburgh, the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., hosts a permanent display called "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" that includes the entryway and living room set that Rogers walked through at the start of each episode, along with props from the show like King Friday XIII's castle and Mr. McFeely's "speedy delivery" tricycle.
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh via AP
At the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh at 10 Children's Way, original puppets from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" are on display (King Friday XIII, Queen Sarah Saturday and Henrietta Pussycat and more) along with Mister Rogers' sweater and a pair of his sneakers.
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A bronze statue of Rogers at a waterfront memorial on the Ohio River, on Pittsburgh's North Shore Drive, depicts him tying his sneakers as he did at the start of every show. The building housing WQED studios, where the show was filmed at 4802 Fifth Ave., is a popular selfie spot.
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Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the Idlewild & SoakZone amusement park in Ligonier is home to Daniel Tigers' Neighborhood, a ride themed on the trolley that was a beloved feature of the show. Daniel Striped Tiger, a character on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," later got his own animated series. Driving from Idlewild to Latrobe on Route 30, a sign on an overhead bridge quotes the song Rogers sang on every episode: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!"
Senator John Heinz History Center via AP
Once in Latrobe, stops include a sculpture of him at 200 Main St. and an exhibit open Monday-Friday at Saint Vincent College. You can also see the exterior of the house, 705 Main St., where he was born, and the home where he was raised, 737 Weldon St. (both homes are privately owned and not open to the public). An ordained minister, Rogers attended the Latrobe Presbyterian Church, 428 Main St. He's buried at Unity Cemetery, 114 Chapel Lane. At 200 Main St., you'll find a statue of him. There's also a historical marker about him and the show in Latrobe's James H. Rogers Memorial Park, named for his father.
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"Won't You Be My Neighbor" has grossed $12.4 million in five weeks, making it the year's biggest documentary at the box office. Its portrait of Rogers as a gentle man who preached kindness and tolerance as an antidote to the turbulence of the late 20th century seems to have struck a chord with viewers lamenting the harshness of politics and pop culture today. Fans get another chance to dive into the Mister Rogers' story next year when a new movie about him hits theaters. It's called "You Are My Friend," starring Tom Hanks.
“Acts of kindness should be happening always, but this is a way where there is encouragement to track it, to share it,” said Gisele Fetterman, wife of Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, John Fetterman.
She is the founder of the Free Store 15104, which provides free food, clothing and other essentials to the community in Braddock, a small hardscrabble steel town near Pittsburgh. Since the store was forced to temporarily close during the pandemic, she has helped raise more than $20,000 in supermarket gift cards for people in need.
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“My wife is a walking 1-4-3 every day,” said her husband, the tattooed former mayor of Braddock.
Growing up, the couple said they were inspired by “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and its lessons of love, generosity and kindness for kids and adults.
“For me, Mister Rogers is very personal, I learned to speak English watching Mister Rogers when I was a young immigrant in this country, never knowing I’d end up in Pittsburgh,” said Gisele Fetterman, who came to the United States with her family from her native Brazil as an undocumented immigrant and later became a U.S. citizen.
“One of my earliest memories was watching Mister Rogers on TV,” her husband said. “Fifty years later, that message is not only still relevant, but more relevant and necessary than ever today.”
Click the “show some love” button, and the 1-4-3 Day website offers suggestions on how to share kindness: “recommend a good movie to a friend; share the credit for a recent accomplishment; cook for your significant other; take your dog on a long walk; reflect on a moment when you overcame fear.”
The University of Pittsburgh also marked the day, recalled the legacy of Fred Rogers by highlighting acts of kindness in the local community.
“There are three ways,” the university said in a tweet, “to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind, the second way is to be kind and the third way is to be kind.”
