PBS Reno to Host 3rd Annual Be My Neighbor Day
Free, family-friendly community event to promote early education, health & safety, and more!
RENO, NV (JUN 18, 2026) – Join PBS Reno for the third annual Be My Neighbor Day, a free community event on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The fun begins at 10am at Idlewild Park located at 1900 Idlewild Drive in Reno and concludes at 2pm.
Be My Neighbor Day is a family-friendly event promoting early childhood education, health and safety, and many other values highlighted on the children’s programs Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Families are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the following:
Live Music | Food trucks |
Performances | Vendor spaces |
Pictures with Daniel Tiger and Katerina Kittycat | And more! |
“We hope our community will join us and all the rest of our neighbors for a day of positive interaction, fun, and helping one another – following in the true Fred Rogers tradition,” said Kurt Mische, PBS Reno President and CEO.
To spread messages of kindness and helping others, PBS Reno is partnering with The Children’s Cabinet, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, and the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows to collect personal hygiene supplies, non-perishable food, and school supplies. Donations may be dropped off at PBS Reno at 1670 N. Virginia Street in Reno starting Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 17. Donations may also be made during Be My Neighbor Day on Saturday, July 18 at Idlewild Park from 10am to 2pm.
“Be My Neighbor Day is an important event for our community because it helps inspire the next generation to lead with kindness, compassion, and a commitment to helping others,” said Kim Young, CEO of The Children’s Cabinet. “At The Children’s Cabinet, our mission is to keep children safe and families together, and we know that strong communities are built when people support one another. We are proud to partner with PBS Reno to create opportunities for families to connect and make a positive difference.”
"We love the tradition of partnering with PBS Reno for Be My Neighbor Day," said Nicole Lamboley, Food Bank of Northern Nevada President & CEO. “It is a terrific way for families to celebrate the strength and power of neighbors working together for the good of our community.”
“One of the things that makes our community special is the way neighbors step up for one another; that's exactly what Be My Neighbor Day represents,” said Mike Wurm, Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows President & CEO. “Our partnership with PBS Reno helps ensure that children head back to school equipped with the supplies they need. For many Club families, the cost of backpacks and school supplies can create unnecessary stress; so, this is huge, as it sets our members up for success.”
Here are the specific items that may be considered for donations:
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Body wash
- Baby soap/body wash
- Deodorant (men’s &
- women’s)
- Body lotion (adult & baby)
- Toothpaste
- Face wash
- Period products
- Diapers (all sizes)
- Pull-Ups®
- Baby wipes
- Canned meals: stews, soups, spaghetti/ravioli (low sodium preferred) · Protein: peanut butter, tuna, salmon, chicken, dried or canned beans
- Grains: whole grain cereal, oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain pasta
- Fruits: canned (packed in 100% juice or light syrup), dried fruit, applesauce (no sugar added), 100% fruit juice boxes ·
- Vegetables: canned (no added salt and/or low sodium preferred)
- Dairy: shelf-stable milk baby products: formula, infant cereal, baby food
- Notebooks
- Composition notebooks
- Index cards
- Pencils, Markers, Color pencils, or Ink pens
- Sharpies, or Dry erase markers
- Tissue boxes
- Glue sticks
- Graph paper or Construction paper
- Post-it® notes (small and poster-sized)
- Command™ Strips
- Masking tape
- Hand wipes
To become a neighbor as a sponsor or a vendor for Be My Neighbor Day, contact PBS Reno Community Partnership Director Samantha Eigenman at 775.600.0561 or seigenman@pbsreno.org
About PBS Reno
In fiscal year 2024-2025, PBS Reno reached 592,189 monthly viewers in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California across several platforms including three broadcast channels (PBS Reno 5.1, Reno Create 5.2, and PBS KIDS on PBS Reno 5.3), a YouTube channel, YouTube TV, online, livestreams, and digital platforms. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with many local segments posted weekly to PBS Reno’s YouTube channel. PBSReno.org provides engaging interactive content, including the video portal at watch.PBSReno.org that streams all locally-produced content and most PBS national content. PBS Reno serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services including Curiosity Classroom workshops that bring classroom lessons to life with standards-based lessons and activities. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as thousands of individual members, PBS Reno has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since September 29, 1983.
About The Children’s Cabinet
Established in Reno in 1985, The Children’s Cabinet exists to keep children safe and families together by offering services and resources that address unmet needs. The organization represents a unique and effective collaboration between the private sector and public agencies in Nevada. The Children’s Cabinet helps more than 15,000 families annually with a wide range of services: basic needs, child care resources, education, work experience programs, crisis intervention, and family counseling. As a non-profit agency, The Children’s Cabinet relies on community support to provide programs and services at no charge to children and their families.
About Food Bank of Northern Nevada
Food Bank of Northern Nevada serves as a distribution hub for 150+ hunger relief organizations throughout a 90,000 square mile area. The organization assists more than 160,000 people each month through a network of 150+ partner agency organizations and direct service programs providing more than 21.7 million meals annually. Bringing food and hope to 13 counties in Nevada and 10 northern California counties is the everyday goal of the organization. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada invites the community to join the organization in the fight against hunger by volunteering, donating and advocating to make a difference.
About Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows
Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows is dedicated to creating a space where every child feels safe and connected: a place to belong and a place to become. This is the place for nearly 14,500 youth in 55 locations across Reno, Sparks, Fernley, Ely, Tonopah, and Winnemucca. We are a place for kids to go before and after school, during school breaks, and during the summer to grow beyond the classroom. We help kids and teens achieve great futures by providing a safe and fun space, an engaging Club experience, and caring professionals to guide them along the way.
Contact us:
Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org
Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503