Milwaukee Public Television (MPBS) and Fred Rogers Productions, with support from the PNC Foundation, recently hosted Be My Neighbor Day, a free, family-friendly event for children and their families, at Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee, to engage in learning activities and social interaction.
Aligned with the iconic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the beloved animated series from Fred Rogers Productions as seen on MPBS, fans lined up to meet their favorite Daniel Tiger costumed character.
“Milwaukee PBS was delighted to bring Be My Neighbor Day to southeastern Wisconsin, along with PNC Foundation and the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum,” said Debbie Hamlett, vice president and general manager of Milwaukee PBS. “We believe events such as these help encourage children to learn about the people who are in their neighborhoods and experience a special day just for kids.”
In the spirit of kindness, a hallmark of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood of aiding neighbors in need, young visitors were encouraged to personalize greeting cards which will be distributed to special helpers in the community such as first responders, senior citizens and others who would welcome a thoughtful gesture.
The event is funded by PNC Foundation in support of PNC Grow Up Great, a $500 million, multi-year, bilingual, early childhood education initiative to help prepare children from birth through age five, particularly underserved children, for success in school and life.
“As a long-time supporter of MPBS and our spectacular children’s museum, PNC was thrilled to support this event in the heart of Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront,” said Chris Hermann, PNC regional president of Wisconsin. ”Since 2004, PNC and our PNC Grow Up Great initiative has helped bring educational opportunities for millions of young learners. Be My Neighbor Day is a natural extension of our commitment to Milwaukee and to the success of our children in school and life.”
In addition to creating an opportunity for fans to take photos with Daniel Tiger, visitors received a special backpack filled with early learning materials and other age-appropriate take-home resources.
“We were thrilled to welcome Daniel Tiger back to the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum,” said Bill Pariso, vice president, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. “Our long-standing partnerships with Milwaukee PBS and PNC Grow Up Great have been instrumental in our mission to provide impactful, educational experiences for children and their families and caregivers in our community.”
For more than a decade, PNC has supported the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum with education-focused grants and opportunities for employees to volunteer through PNC Grow Up Great. PNC employee volunteers helped fill the backpacks distributed today and will be assisting young visitors in creating their designs at the greeting card station. This is the fourth year the PNC Foundation has supported an educational experience for children with Milwaukee PBS.
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- Daniel Tiger costume character takes a selfie with a group of children from a Milwaukee summer camp program.
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- 500 young visitors received a specially branded backpack filled with educational resources to take home.
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- Daniel Tiger costume character with five-year-old excited fan Joaquin.
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- PNC volunteers Crystal Chairez and Erin Kearney prep table where children will make greeting cards for first responders, police officers and other members of the Milwaukee community.
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- In the spirit of kindness, a hallmark of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood of aiding neighbors in need, young visitors were encouraged to personalize greeting cards which will be distributed to special members in Milwaukee’s communities.
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- PNC Grow Up Great volunteers Chris Hermann, Molly Schweiger, Meghan Reid, Erin Kearney and Victor Perecky hand out early education resources to visitors and their families.
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- PNC Grow Up Great learning materials including coloring books, crayons and other resources to take home.
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- Volunteers from Milwaukee’s First Stage welcome young visitors and introduce them to the arts and other sensory activities.
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- Several other community partners hosted information tables including the Milwaukee Fire Department, where volunteers spoke about safety and handed out fire hats and other educational materials.
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- Molly Schweiger PNC Community and Client Relations Director, Chris Hermann PNC Regional President, Daniel Tiger, Meghan Reid PNC Community and Client Relations, Julie Lehr Milwaukee PBS Manager, Marketing and Community Engagement.
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- Be My Neighbor event sign
Location: Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Milwaukee
Event Date: 2023-07-27
