Applebee's Encourages 'Sweater Day' to Honor Mister Rogers
19 Mars 2008 - 4:26PM
Marketwired
LENEXA, KS -- The World's Favorite Neighbor is calling on its
guests and associates to pay homage Thursday, March 20, to the
kindly man who made "Won't You Be My Neighbor" a cultural theme to
generations of American children.
And the top executive at Applebee's is planning on doing her
part.
To celebrate what would have been the 80th birthday of Fred
Rogers, better known as TV's "Mister Rogers," friends of Mr.
Rogers, including David Newell (a.k.a. Mr. McFeely), have declared
this Thursday "Sweater Day." Applebee's is joining in by asking all
its guests and associates to wear a cardigan sweater Thursday to
work, school or play.
Rogers, who died in 2003 after a brief battle with stomach
cancer, was best known for "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," which
first aired 40 years ago on PBS. Each episode began the same way,
with Mister Rogers coming home and singing his theme song, "Won't
You Be My Neighbor?" and changing into sneakers and a zippered
cardigan sweater. The sweaters he wore on the show were hand knit
by his mother.
Julia Stewart, chairman and CEO of IHOP Corp., which owns
Applebee's and IHOP, checked her closet and found no red-zippered
sweaters, but did settle on a nice flowered cardigan for the
occasion.
"Thursday would have been Mister Rogers' 80th birthday," Stewart
said. "Applebee's mission is to be the world's favorite neighbor.
What better way is there to honor the man who reminded us all of
what being a great neighbor is really about?"
Stewart said that wearing an item like Rogers' signature sweater
may not make a fashion statement, but it can certainly send a
strong message about what Americans value most.
"Mister Rogers reminded us that kindness should never become a
lost art," Stewart said. "It was the very heart and soul of who he
was -- and who we all should be every single day. There was no one
more caring or more genuine in his love of family and children.
"So dig through those closets, America, and round up those
sweaters. Mister Rogers would be proud."
About Applebee's / IHOP
Applebee's Services, Inc., headquartered in Lenexa, Kan., and
its affiliated companies develop, franchise and operates
restaurants under the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar
brand, the largest casual dining concept in the world. At the end
of fiscal 2007, there were 1,976 Applebee's restaurants operating
system-wide in 49 states, 17 international countries and two U.S.
territories, of which, 510 were company owned. Additional
information on Applebee's can be found at the company's website
(www.applebees.com).
Media Contacts: Laurie Ellison 913-890-0518
Laurie.ellison@applebees.com
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