Won't You Be My Neighbor Days



Since 1968, when Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood made its national public television debut, Fred Rogers began each episode with his invitation in song, "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?" To celebrate his legacy of neighborliness, "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?" Days (WYBMND) was developed as a week-long series of family-friendly events from March 15 – 20 for Pittsburgh 250.	March 20th would have been Fred Rogers’ 80th birthday. How appropriate that during Pittsburgh’s historic 250th anniversary, we honor our favorite neighbor who became America’s favorite neighbor.	More than 30 southwestern PA organizations are planning to show just how neighborly they can be. By offering free or reduced admissions, they will enable children and families to enjoy activities like puppet making, interactive events at local libraries, musical presentations, and exhibits at our museums — enjoying experiences that inform and enrich their lives in unexpected, remarkable ways. (For more information about activities and locations, click "Schedule of Events" at the top of this page.)	The concept was developed by Family Communications, Inc. (FCI), the non-profit company founded by Fred Rogers, to honor his deep appreciation of what it means to be a caring neighbor. As partners with FCI, Tickets for Kids® Charities is working to assure that deserving children and families are included in the activities taking place to commemorate Fred Rogers’ enduring legacy.

This project supported in part by Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections and The Sprout Fund
Community Connections is a grassroots initiative of Pittsburgh 250 supporting projects that encourage civic engagement throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania, commemorate the region’s 250th anniversary, and provide lasting value to communities and the region as a whole. More than 500 applications for funding were submitted by individuals, community groups, and organizations to celebrate the “Pride and Progress” of Southwestern Pennsylvania—the theme of Community Connections. A region-wide community decision-making process selected 100 projects to share $1 million in funding for events and activities occurring throughout the anniversary year of 2008.		The Sprout Fund is a nonprofit organization supporting innovative ideas and grassroots community projects that are catalyzing change in Pittsburgh. Founded in 2001, Sprout is designed to facilitate community-led solutions to regional challenges and supports efforts to create a thriving, progressive, and culturally diverse region. With strong working relationships to many community organizations and regional stakeholders, The Sprout Fund is one of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s leading agencies on issues related to civic engagement, talent attraction and retention, public art, and catalytic small-scale funding.