Hug4Wishes: A World Record Attempt

January 18, 2013
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What’s in a hug, really? We are hugged as babies, hug every one we meet as toddlers, and are forced to hug distant relatives as adolescents. A hug can be a greeting, a show of affection, a celebration. A hug comforts when there are just no words that can.

This Monday (1/21/13), National Hug Day, David Parsons III (a.k.a Dave), Business Development Director at SWIRE and contributor to The Wire, is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for “The Most Amount of Hugs Given in 24 hours by an Individual.” He has a good shot at it, too. But he’s not doing it for himself. The 10,000 hugs David plans on giving will mean the world to some special children who need our support.

The 24 hour attempt, which will be held at ESPN Zone L.A. LIVE (just across the street from the  STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA), began as a simple thought on a Saturday morning last September. David had recently lost a dear friend, Sharon, to cancer, shortly after she relapsed. As he was trying to process this loss, he found himself wondering, “What can I do right now to make a difference in the lives of those around me?” His solution was simple: hug, and hug intentionally. He posted his thoughts on Facebook and it snowballed from there. “At the end of the day, I want people to remember that changing the world can start with a hug…”

Once things got rolling, David partnered with GRANTS WISHES, a 501c3 nonprofit that grants the wishes of children whose cancer has relapsed or who endure never-ending treatments. GRANTS WISHES is a perfect fit to “carry on Sharon’s legacy and bring hope to children battling cancer a second time.” GRANTS WISHES doesn’t have a large operating budget – the money raised goes directly to the children – so David spent hundreds of hours gaining the support of businesses and individuals to bring this event to life. To show our support, the offices of both SWIRE and eGood will be closed on Monday, and our teams will be there to help David raise awareness and money for GRANTS WISHES.

This is personal for us. At SWIRE, “Live. Create. Inspire.” is something we strive to achieve every day – in our work, in our relationships with clients and team members, and in our lives. At eGood, social good is the driving force behind the movement. We are just scratching the surface as we begin to realize the amazing potential we have to do even more for GRANTS WISHES and other amazing causes.

So go hug someone on Monday. And if you’re in LA, come join us at LA Live and hug David. He’ll be hugging from 11:00 pm Sunday to 10:59 pm Monday. Help David grant a child’s wish by showing your support, either in person or by sponsoring a hug. Besides, how often do you get a chance to help someone break a world record?

Email: Info@Hug4Wishes.org
Web: Hug4Wishes.org
Facebook: Facebook.com/Hug4Wishes
Twitter: Twitter.com/Hug4Wishes
Instagram: Instagram.com/Hug4Wishes

hug4wishes.org
#Hug4Wishes

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  • http://www.infectedmedia.com/ Steve Seybold

    I really wish that I was in the area for the event. I’ll have to be happy with my sponsored hug. Hope you feel the love from Colorado on Monday.

  • http://about.me/swire Zack Swire

    So incredibly proud of David and all that have come together to build and support the Hug4Wishes event. David has a heart of gold and cares deeply for others. We’re exceptionally grateful to have David on our team at SWIRE and I’m even more grateful to know David personally. We’re all excited to join in support of David and the event day and we hope to see you down there. We’ll be signing in ‘huggers’ in iPads so say hi!

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