Hug for glory, hug for the children
These people have the right idea, but they're thinking too damn small.
Calling all huggers: The time has come for you to embrace, cling, squeeze, and snuggle until your eyes pop out, for the sake of noble charity and for a place in the record books. At this year's Rhythm & Booms festival on June 27, a Waunakee-based non-profit called With Wings And A Halo - R.E.A.C.H. A Child will host a Mascot And Celebrity Charity Hug with the goal of setting an adorable record for most hugs in one hour, and putting all proceeds toward providing books for children in emergency or crisis situations.
The charity's CEO, Paul S. Gilbertson, told Decider about his hopes of obliterating a current Guinness World record of 765 hugs, which it turns out is the most hugs given by one person on record. The whopping a 12,000 he predicts—more comparable to the largest group hug record set by a Romanian town's residents last week—will be given out by local news anchors and mascots like McGruff the Crime Dog and Scoopie from Culver's. (Hey, it's a great chance to find out what those costumes smell like up close.) For those who shy away from the embrace, plenty of volunteers are still needed for things like donation collecting, hug counting (seriously), and mascot wrangling.
Donations can be made online at WWAH's website or given to one of the many volunteers canvassing the crowds at Rhythm & Booms. A suggested donation of $2 to $5 will be rewarded with a wristband good for admittance to the record-shattering hugfest, taking place roughly between 7 and 8 p.m. (lines form at 6:30 p.m.) at the softball fields on the southeast end of Warner Park. So turn up your hug capacitor to full blast and get ready to hug your asses off for a good cause.
