In this day and age, when there are so many issues between people regarding race, politics, gender, etc., it’s even more important to spread some love around. That’s why Ken E. Nwadike Jr has come up with The Free Hugs Project – an initiative that is as simple as… giving free hugs. A couple of weeks ago, Ken, along with Husen Ali (Lackawanna Charter School) and a group of “hug advocates” paraded around Canalside, giving out free hugs. The first “Love” event was a huge success, with hundreds of unsuspecting people receiving hugs, high-fives, handshakes, friendly smiles, and compliments.
Nwadike first got the idea for the “Love” event after learning about the Boston marathon bombings. The following year, he attended the marathon and gave out free hugs in order to help alleviate the stress and pain that everyone was still feeling.
He stated, “The attitudes people have, the biases they have, those can change when your hearts touch. When you embrace someone, and you feel good and they feel good, those walls can come down. It was the first time I really realized that this was not just something the running community wanted to see. It was something the whole world wanted to see. So I started popping up at as many rallies as I could.”
Since initiating his project, Nwadike feels that he has been able to affect positive change on a larger level. After all, who doesn’t want a free hug? It’s why he decided to continue on with the project in Buffalo.
Why Buffalo?
Ali believes, “The very idea that one man took it upon himself to offer the gift of love to others, through hugs, was beyond amazing. I have always believed that both love and kindness have the power to triumph anger and hate. Showing each other that we care, and giving someone a warm hug, can make all the difference. Buffalo is the city of good neighbors, and with all the chaos in the media I felt we needed a way to spread more love and kindness into the world. The Free Hugs Project does just that.
“Everyone has his or her own personal struggles, but my fear is that people are starting to lose faith in one another. I feel that compassion is on its way to being lost. But love, as always, is the cure. Giving people hugs will only take a moment of my time, but the memory and meaning of this project will stay with them forever.”
Seeing that the recent Canalside event was so effective and powerful, you better believe that there will be more free hug sessions come spring. When you see them coming, be prepared to put a smile on your face, because that’s what it’s all about – spreading love and kindness, while asking for nothing in return.
Below is a slide show that demonstrated the effectiveness of the project.