Free Hugs Campaign - Publicity and Expansion

Publicity and Expansion

• In October 2006, a college student, Yu Tzu-wei, began a campaign in Taipei to "hug everyone in Taiwan"
• In October 2006, a Free Hugs Campaign began in Tel Aviv, Israel.
• In late October 2006, several Free Hugs Campaigns were organized in a number of cities in Italy.
• On October 27, 2006, students Steve Loftus, Mark Wonnacott and Jeff Jones from Illinois-based McKendree University were featured in news media, including MLB.com, for giving free hugs before game five of the World Series in front of Busch Stadium.
• On November 6, 2006, a group of eleven people led by a 24-year-old man named 'Baigu' (白骨) tried the same campaign in Shanghai, only to be detained for one hour for not having a permit to hold a gathering in a public place.
• On November 10, 2006, A Free Hugs event in Boulder, Colorado was covered by local media.
• On November 18, 2006 Geneva Online, an online community, organized the first Free Hugs event in Geneva, Switzerland.
• On November 22, two Korean boy students organized a Free Hugs Campaign outside the Ngee Ann City shopping mall along Orchard Road, Singapore. In a novel bid to spread the festive cheer, they had this campaign for the following consecutive Saturdays.
• In late 2006 a Free Hugs Campaign commenced in Belgium with events on December 22 and December 23 in Antwerp and on December 30 in Ghent.
• In March 2007, as part of an initiative to combat discrimination against people infected with AIDS or HIV, the French Government will call on its citizens to embrace strangers who hoist signs in the street offering free hugs.

• On April 14, 2007, Portuguese waitress Sara Viera living in Newcastle Upon-Tyne, England was reported on both BBC News and local press to be giving Free Hugs in the streets of Newcastle City Centre.
• On December 20, 2008, Indian composer A. R. Rahman and percussionist Sivamani created a song titled "Jiya Se Jiya", inspired by the Free Hugs Campaign and promoted it through a video shot in various cities in India.
• In February 2009, a free hug offer startled downtown Toronto shoppers.
• In July 2009, a Jordanian radio station celebrated International Free Hugs Day by creating the first Free Hugs video from an Arab country.
• In August 2009, in Norway Free Hugs were offered by the Red Cross Youth in the yearly market "Steinkjermartnan".
• On July 3, 2010, The first "FREE HUGS Campaign for AIDS" was organized by a group of friends from a non-profit organization called "SHADOW of BODHI", at six different places at Chennai, India.
• Since February 10, 2011, a group of young people are organizing several events in Portugal, starting in the North and ending in the South. They already had several presences on Portuguese television and have been congratulated by the father of the campaign, Juan Mann. The group remains in activity and continues to give hugs around Portugal and soon hopes to spread love in the whole country. They had given hugs in Vila Nova de Famalicão and Braga (twice), Guimarães, Porto, Aveiro, Espinho, Coimbra and Lisbon. On September 21, with Vincent Marx, Fernando Moinho and Edwin Bustos, they organized the event called "Free Hugs for World Peace". For 2012, they are trying to break the Guinness World Record for "Most People Hugging Each Other" in Vila Nova de Famalicão.