Oct. 27, 2026
Network partners with more than 40 organizations statewide to collect sweaters for those in need
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas TV) — Arkansas TV and more than 40 organizations across the state have partnered for the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive as tribute to Fred Rogers and his example of being a caring neighbor. This drive will be held Nov. 1-30.
“Fred Rogers showed us that being a good neighbor starts with caring for the people around us,” Arkansas TV Executive Director and CEO Carlton Wing said. “Through this statewide Sweater Drive, we have an opportunity to put that lesson into action by helping our fellow Arkansans stay warm this winter. We’re grateful to the organizations and community members joining us in this effort, and we hope people across the state will take part.”
During the Neighborhood Sweater Drive, members of the community are asked to donate new or gently worn sweaters and other cold-weather clothing at participating libraries, schools and businesses statewide or at Arkansas TV headquarters in Conway. Collected items will be distributed by various local charities. Participation is still open for libraries who have not yet joined.
“All of us, at some time or other, need help,” Fred Rogers said. “And, whether we’re giving or receiving a sweater, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.
“That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors – in our way, everyone is a giver and receiver.”
Additional information, including the full list of drop-off locations, is available at arkansastv.gov/sweaterdrive.
To help set the tone for a “comfortable” visit with his young viewers, Rogers put on a sweater and changed into sneakers to help children settle in for “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” All of Rogers’ original sweaters were knitted by his mother, Nancy McFeely Rogers. Each year, she knitted a dozen sweaters and gave them to family and close friends at Christmas.
For more than 40 years, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” PBS’s longest-running children’s series, earned four Daytime Emmys. As a testament to his legacy, Rogers received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and was recognized in 2002 with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his contributions to children’s development and education using broadcast television.
The Fred Rogers Company was founded by Rogers in 1971 as the nonprofit producer of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for PBS. In the years that followed, it not only created hundreds of episodes, but it also extended Rogers’ values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional and behavioral health and supporting parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals in their work with children. The Fred Rogers Company continues to build on his legacy through a wide variety of media and by engaging new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. Additional information is available at FredRogers.org.
For information about joining the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive, please email swillis@arkansastvfoundation.org.
About Arkansas TV
Arkansas TV, Arkansas’s only statewide public television network, informs and inspires learners of all ages through local storytelling, educational resources and meaningful community partnerships. Local programs can be livestreamed at arkansastv.gov/live and accessed on demand at youtube.com/@arkansastv. Arkansas TV also offers five broadcast services: Arkansas TV (main channel), Create, PBS KIDS, WORLD and AIRS on SAP. Arkansas TV depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering locally produced, Arkansas-focused programming. Additional information is available at arkansastv.gov. Arkansas TV is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado), KETS (Russellville), KETS (Forrest City), KETS (Yancy) and KETS (Gaither).
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