Welcome back to the neighborhood, Mister Rogers.
The U.S. Postal Service on Sunday announced that a stamp featuring Latrobe native Fred Rogers was the winner of its Stamp Encore contest. The stamp, which debuted in 2018, is being re-issued in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the postal service and country.
The stamp and a four-image Mister Rogers souvenir sheet will be available at post office locations nationwide and online starting June 1.
The Mister Rogers stamp was the winner as selected by the public during the 10-week Stamp Encore contest, according to the postal service.
Fred Rogers was the face of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” a long-running children’s television show. His mild and reassuring tone helped children understand the world around them, from light-hearted to difficult topics, while encouraging their imaginations.
Reissuing the stamp honors the ties he built with his viewers, said Emma Lee, director of the Fred Rogers Institute, in a statement released by the U.S. Postal Service.
“Fred Rogers considered the space between the television set and a viewer to be ‘holy ground,’” Lee said. “The mail children sent to Mister Rogers, and his letters back, became an essential extension of that sacred connection.”
The 2018 stamp depicts Rogers in a red cardigan with King Friday XIII, a puppet character on the show. The Mister Rogers souvenir sheet has four new stamps with additional photographs and puppet characters.
“When people use this stamp, we hope it serves as a small, daily reminder of Fred’s enduring belief in the inherent worth of every human being,” said Paul Siefken, president and CEO of Fred Rogers Productions, in a statement.
