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Rittenhouse Square Bench to Honor WMMR Icon Pierre Robert as Fundraising Surges

A community campaign will fund the tribute, helping maintain a square that depends on private support.

Overview

  • Friends of Rittenhouse Square reports raising more than $9,000 toward a $10,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon for a memorial bench.
  • The bench is expected to be dedicated in May at the park where Robert often read and appeared in his final Instagram post.
  • Donations tied to the bench will also support the care and preservation of Rittenhouse Square, which receives no ongoing city or state funding.
  • A portion of proceeds will go to Mural Arts Philadelphia for a future mural honoring Robert, with the location to be determined.
  • Robert, a 44-year WMMR mid-day host who died in October at 70, was remembered by fans in the square and at a December memorial concert at the Fillmore.