Pennsylvania will celebrate the third annual 1-4-3 Day on Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23. The state introduced 1-4-3 Day in 2019 to create a statewide kindness movement and to honor Fred Rogers by encouraging Pennsylvanians to show their neighbors a little extra friendship and love.
Inspired by the life lessons of Pittsburgh native Mister Rogers, 1-4-3 Day challenges all to do a good deed for a neighbor or someone in the community. Rogers used 1-4-3 as another way of saying, “I love you,” with 1-4-3 representing the number of letters found in each word.
As the state continues to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, Gov. Tom Wolf is encouraging all Pennsylvanians to spread even more kindness, more love and more generosity this year.
“Though 1-4-3 Day has looked a little different since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact will be felt and needed now more than ever. Over the past year, we’ve learned that kind gestures can be made anywhere, anytime,” said Wolf. “Whether by offering a simple note of appreciation or donating to those in need, I encourage everyone to show their support and compassion to celebrate this day across the commonwealth.”
Pennsylvanians can find inspiration for the day with the state’s Kindness Generator at pa.gov/143-day. The website includes a Kindness Tracker to track all the great deeds throughout 1-4-3 Day weekend.
“This year, it is so important that we continue to spread kindness and positivity in our communities and beyond,” said Carrie Fischer Lepore, deputy secretary, Office of Marketing, Tourism and Film for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. “The past two years, we’ve seen our neighbors, both young and old, take part in 1-4-3 Day, showing gratitude with acts of kindness in many different forms and we can’t wait to see the new and creative ways Pennsylvanians express their kindness this year.”
Lepore reminded Pennsylvanians that acts of kindness don’t need to be grand; they can include:
– Volunteering at a local charitable organization in your community
– Making someone smile with an unexpected compliment
– Paying for the person behind you in the drive-thru or at the store
– Bringing coffee to your co-workers
– Donating blood
– Sending someone a handwritten card or note
– Getting outside for a Kindness Walk (1.43 miles)
– Dropping off new or gently used clothes/toys to those in need
– Preparing a meal for your household or family members
– Creating inspiring sidewalk art using chalk
Follow visitPA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #143DayInPA to help spread the movement across the commonwealth and follow all the good deeds festivities.
