Local Boy Hopes To Collect 1,000 Sweaters For Annual Drive

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Crisp days of early autumn bring color to the branches, and the decorated front hall of Edgeworth Elementary School.

Fall is also sweater time. Third grader Liam Welge has made it his goal to see that no one in our area does without.

"We talked to the schools, and Edgeworth and Osborne both agreed to collect sweaters," says Liam's mother, Jodie Welge. "He's created posters. We're going to be doing a video."

What made him decide to collect all these sweaters?

"Basically, it's so people don't freeze in the winter, and for people who can't afford it," he says.

"He has a sensitive side," his mother adds. "He continues to want to do and give to others. He's very generous. He's very good at writing thank you notes. And I think he's acquired wonderful life skills."

The official sweater drive kicks off at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on Nov. 6. In honor of the late Fred Rogers, sweaters collected by Liam and many others will be added to the mix.

The 8-year-old has lofty goals.

"His first goal was a million," his mother says. "And I said, I don't think that will fit in my car. So we negotiated down to 1,000 sweaters."

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