The Mister Rogers’ Memorial Sweater Drive has collected a total of 13,500 new or freshly cleaned sweaters. The sweaters were delivered to participating agencies in Southeastern Wisconsin for distribution to families in need. The drive, now in its seventh year, has collected more than 50,000 sweaters since 1998.

Sponsors of the drive are Milwaukee Public Television, Aurora Health Care, The Channel 10/36 Friends, Inc., Coakley-Tech, and Coakley Brothers Company.

Special thanks to Aurora Health Care, First Realty, MATC, GE-Medical Systems, the American Cancer Society and the Closet Quilter and others who provided drop-off sites for the public. Thanks to the many businesses, schools, churches, scout troops, 4-H groups and other organizations who donated and conducted internal sweater drives. Thanks to all of the volunteers who sorted and bagged all of the donations.

The drive honored Fred Rogers who died of cancer in 2003 at age 74. The television series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, now celebrating its 37th year as a beloved public television children’s program can be seen M-F at 9:00 a.m. on MPTV-10.

For more information about MPTV’s Mister Rogers’ Memorial Sweater Drive, contact: Darlyne Haertlein, Outreach and Viewer Services Supervisor at 414-297-7518.