It was all smiles in the neighborhood for Lakeshore PBS’ Be My Neighbor Day event. On Saturday, Sept. 14, families gathered at Harvest Tyme, in Lowell, Ind., to greet Daniel Tiger from the PBS Kids series “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” and meet the helpers in their neighborhood.

Along with materials to help children create emergency preparedness kits, the station also provided materials for families to make cards thanking first responders along with other efforts to help familiarize children with their local helpers. This addition aligns with the multi-platform effort “Meet the Helpers” inspired by Mister Rogers’ initiative to look for the helpers in times of emergencies.

First responders from the Lowell Fire Department, Tri-Creek Ambulance Service, and Lake Dalecarlia Volunteer Fire Department joined Lakeshore PBS at Harvest Tyme with multiple vehicles including their fire safety trailer for attendees to interact with. The MAAC Foundation also partnered with Lakeshore to bring even more fun educational aspects to the event, and volunteers from local PNC Bank branches lent a helping hand. Everlasting Smiles & Memories out of Crown Point provided costume talent for Daniel Tiger.

“A huge thank you to all of these great community organizations for partnering with us to help put together a great event for residents from across the Region. We handed out around 250 emergency preparedness kits to families and had some great conversations, but the best takeaway was seeing how happy these kids were to see Daniel Tiger,” Vice President of Development, Carl Kurek said. “This was our first big event since the pandemic so it felt great to be back with the community, and we look forward to more opportunities to gather with our neighbors,” Kurek said.

Support for Be My Neighbor Day is presented by Fred Rogers Productions. Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. His values and efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children is the foundation of Fred Rogers Productions.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better day. Fall was in the air, the sun was shining, and so many families made it out. There were a lot of laughs and smiling faces that day,” Lakeshore’s Corporate Support Executive, Aaron Davis said. “Some of the art work these kids were making for our local first responders will keep me smiling for days to come. I think it’s little acts of kindness like these that makes an event worthwhile,” Davis said.

Lakeshore Public Media, which operates Lakeshore PBS and Lakeshore Public Radio, has been a public broadcasting entity based in Northwest Indiana for nearly 35 years. Their mission is to enrich the lives of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana residents through lifelong learning, the celebration of human diversity, and engagement in civic concerns. For more information, visit LakeshorePublicMedia.org.

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great ®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi- year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit www.pncgrowupgreat.com