IN Sewickley Spring 2016 | Page 20

INEVENTS THIRD GRADE EDGEWORTH ELEMENTARY STUDENT PARTICIPATES IN THE 16TH ANNUAL SWEATER DRIVE In the spirit of Fred Rogers’ lessons in helping others, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh presented its 16th Annual Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive from Nov. 6 – Dec. 15, 2015. Over the past 16 years, the museum has collected over 34,000 sweaters, distributing them to families in need throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. This year, no one did a better job of collecting than Liam Welge, a third grader at Edgeworth Elementary School. He collected more than 200 sweaters. “Whenever my family and I were watching Mr. Rogers, I always wanted to meet the characters,” he says. That dream came true for Liam and many other sweater collectors this year. The drive kicked off on Friday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m. with a special appearance by everyone’s favorite mail carrier, Mr. McFeely, at the Children’s Museum. “For over 34 years, Fred Rogers was an invaluable resource for imparting lessons about giving and sharing to millions of children,” says Jane Werner, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum. “The Sweater Drive draws from these lessons with the classic symbol of his gentle nature, his cardigan sweater, and gives us a concrete way to give and share with others in our Greater Pittsburgh neighborhood.” Community organizations that partnered with the Children’s Museum for the 2015 Sweater Drive include: The Presbyterian Churches of the Tri-State Area, Young Friends Committee of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Quaker Valley Elementary Schools, The Homeless Children’s Education Fund and Thelma Lovette YMCA. For further information about the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive, call 412.322.5058, ext. 363. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH. 18 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Sewickley