In advance of Fred Rogers’ birthday on Sunday, March 20, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Pennsylvania’s fourth annual 1-4-3 Day will take place on Monday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2022, encouraging Pennsylvanians to save the date and show their neighbors additional kindness, generosity, and love. The tradition began in 2019 and was intended to inspire a statewide movement to honor beloved Pittsburgh-native Fred Rogers.

Best known for his role in the television series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Fred Rogers continuously demonstrated compassion and kindness, and embodied what it means to be a good neighbor. Rogers used 1-4-3 as another way of saying “I love you” with the numbers representing the number of letters in each word. The Wolf Administration is urging all Pennsylvanians and beyond to spread kindness by doing a good deed for someone in their life – like a neighbor, a stranger in their community, or others in need.

“I encourage all Pennsylvanians to join in this tradition, and they don’t have to wait for 1-4-3 Day to show compassion and generosity to others, particularly with recent world events,” said Gov. Wolf. “1-4-3 Day is just one moment in time that we can practice the kindness and gratitude that are integral to the spirit in all Pennsylvanians.”

Pennsylvanians are encouraged to consider starting the journey to this year’s 1-4-3 Day now by supporting humanitarian relief in Ukraine through a variety of nonprofit organizations on the ground:

Pennsylvania is home to more than 122,000 Ukrainians, the second most of any state. Earlier this month, Gov. Wolf took a strong stance of support for Ukraine.

“With everything happening globally, we hope 1-4-3 Day inspires more generosity, more neighborliness, and more fellowship wherever kindness is needed,” said Carrie Fischer Lepore, Deputy Secretary, Office of Marketing, Tourism, and Film for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. “There is plenty of time to plan wonderful intentional acts of kindness in our workplaces, schools, communities and beyond.” Pennsylvanians will be able to find 1-4-3 Day ideas and activities through the state’s Kindness Generator at pa.gov/143-day or follow visitPA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #143PA for inspiration and to help spread the movement across the commonwealth.