Day 894: First Annual ‘Hug Against Hate’ Award – Juan Mann

So, today is my birthday… and I know what you’re thinking.  ‘Wow!  What a great day for a birthday!  There’s always a party!’ 

Yes, while this is true… you’re perspective is a little off.  All the parties on New Year Eve are actually held in anticipation of the END of my birthday.  People cheer when it’s over… and that is very hurtful. ;)

BUT, instead of being a grumpy Gus this year, I thought I would focus on something more positive.  After all, it’s the end of the year, so why don’t we honor someone who is doing something amazing to unite the world?  There are tons of people doing incredibly simple, yet powerfully inspiring work that should be recognized.  So, from now on, on my birthday, I’m going to give out the ‘SchutzHappens Hug Against Hate’ Award.

The ‘Hug Against Hate’ is actually something I started saying sarcastically on my Facebook page a while back.  From time to time, I’ll post articles about people behaving in incredibly small minded ways… or saying very inappropriate things… and I would post these articles saying, “Wow, this guy needs a hug… who can be that unhappy after getting a hug?”  And rather quickly, this statement was shortened to, “I know someone who needs a hug against hate!”  And thus the phrase was born. 

So now… I would like to close out 2010 by honoring someone who is more than just a big talker (like me)… someone who is really out there changing the world in such an amazingly simple way… and there is no better first recipient of the ‘SchutzHappens Hug Against Hate’ Award than Juan Mann, the creator of the ‘Free Hug Campaign’.

Somehow, during all much many hours trolling around YouTube, I only just now discovered Juan and his amazing work… which he started in 2006 when he posted this video:

For more information on the ‘Free Hug Campaign’ please visit these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Hugs_Campaign

http://www.freehugscampaign.org/