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This Hug is Twenty Seconds is a unique event hosted by unique people and offering a unique service.
The event was started by Aaron Vanderpool three years ago after the tragic passing of his child Tarajii. It honours the final gift they gave Vanderpool before their passing.
“I wanted to do something in the world, as opposed to just talking about it,” said Vanderpool. “Me and another friend of mine were trying to figure out some kind of project that I could come up with … He said, oh, you should do some sort of hugging event, and I said, hold on a second, and I went to my fridge, and on my fridge, I have a self-made coupon that Taraji made for me, and it says Unlimited 20 Second Hugs. I was like, wow, this is serendipity in a sense.”
Since then Vanderpool has been working with the Foundry to bring comfort and contentment to Winterfest.
The event itself, in addition to the hugs, also offers a memorial board for locals to come and remember and pay respects to loved ones who have passed. As well, organizers offer social workers for the Foundry to talk with locals about anything and everything.
Those who want to get a hug, post something on the memorial board or even just chat with the event hosts can stop by Foundry Prince George (1148 7th Ave, just off Veteran’s Square) between 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.
Research shows that 20-second long hugs boost "happy" hormones like oxytocin and others and can relieve tension, raise your mood, and reduce stress overall, Vanderpool said.
Prevoius events have been very well attended in the past two years, with hundreds of locals and others online sharing hugs and memories of loved ones.
Vanderpool told The Citizen that even if you don't want a hug you are more than welcome to chat or share memories.
“Any and all participation is welcome,” said Vanderpool. “Even if someone comes and they don't want to hug and they don't want to put anything on the memorial board, but they just want to talk about something important to them. Maybe they want to talk about someone that they've lost or how they're feeling. That's perfect. It's really about getting the community to engage and giving people the opportunity and the space to connect with those feelings that they may not want to or have had the opportunity to connect with in the past.”
