Free Hugs |
Welcome to the home of Free Hugs Australia...
We are organising a large group hug Melbourne, Australia (we need 16,000+ to beat the world record).
The Short Story
Free Hugs are offered to strangers in public settings by holding up a sign reading "Free Hugs"and then waiting for people who need one, to come and get a hug.
There is a varied reaction from people and most are intrigued and positive about this random act of kindness. Over 11 million people have seen the video on the Internet.
On our site, www.FreeHugs.com.au you can watch the Free Hugs You Tube video, buy Free Hugs t-shirts, and find out more information about this feel good concept.
Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story!
UPDATE
Jaun Mann will be in Melbourne on Friday, 30/11/2007 at Federation Square at 11 am, come and join in the group hugs.
Juan Mann is writing a book about Free Hugs. Please do not visit his home. He did have an open invitation to visit him and so far, as of 23/11/2007, 80 people have dropped in. His landlord is not happy and has threatened eviction. He is now looking for a place to stay. I think his open invitation idea is brave and compelling. I mean a lot of people in third world countries have a greater sense of community. People tend to drop over more, they know their neighbours, they have less stress, fear and worries. I hope Juann finds a place where he can have an open home and it inspires others to be more open.
The Free Hugs Video has been awarded the Most Inspirational Video of 2006 by the You Tube community. 2006 was a pioneering year for online video, user-created content and the YouTube community. You let us into your bedrooms, created new forms of entertainment, and radicalized popular culture. Many media outlets have updated their websites about the Free Hugs video winning the You Tube awards, such as The Age, USA Today and BBC.
The Free Hugs video on YouTube has been watched by over 11 miilion people world wide and continues to grow. Free Hugs was recorded in Sydney Australia and released on September 22, 2006.
The video shows Juan Mann walking through the Pitt Street Mall holding up a sign with the words FREE HUGS written on it and giving out free hugs. Music for the video is provided by Sick Puppies, an Australian band that "Mann"met a year earlier.
Shimon Moore, the lead singer of the Sick Puppies who worked at the mall, shot the footage which he later compiled into a video for the song.
In a news interview, Moore had said that Mann was facing family difficulties, and he wrote "All the Same"for Mann just to make him feel better, much like Mann's intention with the FREE HUGS campaign.
Initial distrust of Juan's motivations gives way to a gradual increase of people willing to be hugged, with other huggers (male and female) helping distribute them. After some time, security guards, then police tell them they must stop, as Mann has not obtained $25 Million in public liability insurance.
Mann and his companions used a petition which reached 10,000 signatures to continue the free hugs campaign.
FREE HUGS - Get your Australian FREE HUGS t-shirt!
FREE HUGS - Get your Australian FREE HUGS t-shirt!
❊ Address ❊
℅ Naarm
⊜ Cnr Swanston Street and Bourke Street Melbourne 3000 View Map
❊ Web Links ❊
➼ Free Hugs
➼ www.freehugs.com.au
➼ FREE HUGS - Get your Australian FREE HUGS t-shirt!
➼ FREE HUGS - History
➼ www.freehugscampaign.org
➼ www.youtube.com
➼ Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story! - wikipedia.org
➼ Day of Love Federation Square
Disclaimer: Check with the venue (web links) before making plans, travelling or buying tickets.
Accessibility: Contact the venue for accessibility information.
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