Lakeshore PBS has increased marketing efforts for their free, family-focused Be My Neighbor Day event. The station has done so to ensure neighbors across the region have been made aware of this Saturday’s event. In addition to social media campaigns targeted over southwest Michigan, northwest Indiana, and Chicagoland, Lakeshore has incorporated five billboards spanning multiple counties, lining local highways.
The event happening on Saturday, September 24 will be held at Harvest Thyme; a local, family-owned and operated farm located in Lowell, Ind. Harvest Thyme offers a friendly environment as well as paid attractions like pick-your-own pumpkins, a giant corn maze, and amusement rides. More information can be found at harvesttymefun.com.
Lakeshore PBS will have an area of the farm, free of charge, designated for Be My Neighbor Day. Attendees will find station staff and volunteers with an information table, giveaways, and Daniel Tiger from the PBS Kids series “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” while learning about emergency preparedness and participating in various family-friendly activities. Lakeshore PBS’ Be My Neighbor Day is supported by The PNC Foundation and Fred Rogers Productions.
Lakeshore PBS is excited to announce that the Lowell Fire Department, Tri-Creek Ambulance Service, and Lake Dalecarlia Volunteer Fire Department will be in attendance at this Saturday’s event. The departments will bring multiple emergency vehicles to the event including a fire safety trailer designed to educate children on fire safety. The MAAC Foundation, a nonprofit training campus in Valparaiso for first responders, will also be at the event sharing educational materials and giveaways with attendees.
“There’s a lot of excitement heading into Be My Neighbor Day,” Membership Manager Riley Eagan said. “I’ve heard from many of our members about the positive impacts PBS Kids has had on families. The opportunity to witness this first hand is not lost on us. We are excited and honored to continue spreading those positive lessons.”
This Be My Neighbor Day event was inspired by the “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” episodes in which Daniel Tiger prepares an emergency kit in correlation with September being Disaster Preparedness Month. Lakeshore PBS will provide items for children to create their own emergency preparedness including an emergency supply kit checklist, drawstring bags with a reflective stripe, flashlights, hand sanitizer, a first aid pouch, and more.
Lakeshore PBS will also provide materials for children 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. The MAAC Foundation will partner with the station to distribute the cards to local first responders.
Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the nonprofit 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 as they continue to build on Mister Rogers’ legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom.
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
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.
