Today is March 20 and would have been the 80th birthday of the late children's television host Fred Rogers.
He's been gone 5 years now, thanks to stupid stomach cancer, and his best friend David Newell has a special request, "We’re asking everyone everywhere... from Pittsburgh to Paris...to wear their favorite sweater on that day. It doesn’t have to have a zipper down the front like the one Mister Rogers wore on the program, it just has to be special to you.”
Newell is better known as Mr. McFeely, the world's greatest mailman, who brought speedy deliveries to the Neighborhood for many years on Mr. Rogers' show. Here is more on his idea for today.
By-the-way, Mr. Rogers most famous sweater, a red one knitted by his late mother, was donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History by Fred Rogers on Nov. 20, 1984.
Hey Bean!!
I think that is a
really cool way of remembering Mr.Rogers,
he was an awesome man, and left many great memories...
:-]
Posted by: Cecy | March 20, 2008 at 07:45 AM
Very interesting. I didnt know it would have been his birthday till I read this, but Im wearing MY favorite sweater today. What a coincidence!
Posted by: | March 20, 2008 at 08:27 AM
Awww what a great entry Bean. It was a sad day when Mr. Rogers left us and I'm so happy that I am indeed wearing my favorite sweater today just by chance.
And on a less sentimental note, I can't help but thinking of the Simpsons episode where Bart and Milhouse find the Comic Book Guy's secret film collection featuring Mr. Roger's drunk. "What do you mean I can't take off my sweater?! I'm HOT!"
Posted by: Jackie | March 20, 2008 at 08:29 AM
As luck would have it, I am wearing a cardigan today
Posted by: Diane | March 20, 2008 at 08:30 AM
That was my favorite show as a kid, along with Lamb Chop's Play-Along. Poor old coot.
Posted by: Steven | March 20, 2008 at 08:55 AM
Ummm creepy, only in the fact that just last night my husband and i were talking about the characters in Mr Rogers Neighborhood! like Prince Turesday and King Friday, etc. How Weird
Posted by: Liz | March 20, 2008 at 09:26 AM
How times have changed - no WAY would there be a character on a kid's show today named 'Mr. McFeely'!
Posted by: Jason | March 20, 2008 at 12:07 PM
I wasn't gonna comment on this, but I found Jason's comment hilarious.
Yeah, simpler times then, for sure.
Posted by: Christina L. | March 20, 2008 at 03:06 PM
i read this and i happened to have on one of my favorite sweaters yesterday (and it was a cardigan), so even in the warm LA weather I wore it all day with pride...
Posted by: cathy g | March 21, 2008 at 08:58 AM