Aug 12, 2025 - News
1 GIF to go: Puppet hug
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👋 Ryan here. I wanted to share a moment from last week that I think would make Fred Rogers proud.
The intrigue: Donald Parkes, 22, and his mother Nora Parkes drove eight hours from Massachusetts to attend a panel discussion on Rogers' legacy last Friday in Bloomfield.
- Nora told Axios that Donald has autism and puppets are his world.
- He brought his own homemade puppet to the event.
Context: At the end of the panel, performers from the PBS Kids show "Donkey Hodie" — Frankie Cordero and Haley Jenkins — brought out puppets from the show to interact with the crowd.
- Jenkins and Donkey Hodie then asked Parkes and his puppet if Donkey could have a hug.
- The "Donkey Hodie" show is the second spin-off of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.