COURTESY OF DANIEL CROZIER
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN OU NEIGHBO HOOD Fred Rogers at piano
with nephew Daniel Crozier. In a world filled with angst as we volley through this seemingly never-ending pandemic, a new sculpture located at Rollins College in Winter Park honoring Mister Rogers’ legacy reminds us the importance of being kind and how we could all use a little more Mister Rogers in our life.
By Kaitlyn Fusco
ollins College in Winter Park is pleased to announce the installation of a new bronze sculpture “A Beautiful Day for a Neighbor,” thanks to the British artist Paul Day, which honors beloved alumnus Fred McFeely Rogers. But, perhaps, what is most important is what the deeply thoughtful and expertly crafted sculpture represents – a gentle reminder for all of us to be better people in such a trying and challenging time. Mister Rogers once said, “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes,” and these words still ring true. In a world plagued by a pandemic that has taken over 727,000 lives, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and conversations of vaccine efficacy, labor shortages, mailing delays, social injustice, political polariza-
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Central Florida Lifestyle | November 2021
tion, racial inequality and economic disruption, the new Mister Rogers sculpture is a welcomed change of scenery. “This inspirational sculpture will be a permanent reminder of the ideals and values modeled by Mister Rogers as he set out to make the world a better place,” says Rollins President Grant Cornwell. “This tribute will reinforce the quest for empathy, acceptance and kindness so needed in our society today.” Mister Rogers created the impactful series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which was designed to teach children critical emotional and social skills by talking about difficult topics such as death, bullying and divorce. It taught children that what they felt was ok to feel, whether that be anger, jealously or depression, but that it wasn’t an excuse for bad behavior. It taught children that the most important characteristic of a person was to be kind. Above all else – be kind.
