National Hug Your Kids Press Releases

2010 National Hug Your Kids Day - Monday, July 19, 2010

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Reno, NV -- Reno, Nevada is famous for glamorous casinos, beautiful Lake Tahoe - and now, it's the home of National Hug Your Kids Day, which is Monday, July 19, this year.

"Hugging your kids is a privilege," says Michelle Nichols, of Reno, Nevada, the founder of the holiday. In 2008, she left her prestigious position as the sales columnist for BusinessWeek.com to start the event in honor of her son Mark, who she lost suddenly ten years earlier when he was 8 1/2 years old. "The doctors thought he just had the flu, and eleven days later, he died of brain cancer," she explains.

On the five year anniversary of his death, her family had two billboards put up along major highways in Houston, Texas, that read: Hug Your Kids Today. We Wish We Could. In Memory of Mark Nichols. 1989 - 1998. Five years later, it seemed only fitting to Nichols, a sales expert and entrepreneur, to take that message and turn it into a national holiday.

The holiday's message is for all parents - mother and fathers, grandparents too. "It's so easy to run out the door to work in the morning, and rush right past your family. It's like they're furniture. Yet what really matters in life is your relationships, especially your relationships with your family - your children and your spouse or partner." She started the holiday to remind parents everywhere to stop and hug their kids.

She doesn't work alone. Local and nationwide corporate sponsors have eagerly stepped in with their support. Clear Channel Outdoor is expected to donated digital billboards in fifteen major cities across the US. for the day that read "Hug Your Kids Today." Five Major League Baseball teams will announce the holiday on their Jumbotrons during their games. Eight Gannett newspapers will run contests and articles about the holiday. Besides the Reno event on the holiday, in Ottawa, Canada, their junior hockey team will have Hug Your Kids Night on October 25. In all, they expect to have something going on in 26 states for the holiday.

What's the ultimate goal of National Hug Your Kids Day? "World domination," jokes Nichols. "Seriously, our plan is to change the world's families, one million hugs at a time. Once we get to several million hugs per day worldwide, momentum will kick in. Our ultimate goal is that there will come a day, when every child around the world will be hugged by a parent or guardian."

And it all starts with a hug.

1. Short promo

Global Hug Your Kids Day is Monday, July 19. The holiday was founded by Michelle Nichols to spread the word to all working parents to ignore all the talk about "work-life balance." Instead, she recommends you prioritize and put "family first and work a close second."

Ms. Nichols speaks from credibility. Ten years ago, her son, Mark, died suddenly from brain cancer. He was 8 1/2-years old. She started this holiday in his honor.

She also wrote a book called, "Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent" that you can buy on Amazon.com, BN.com or her website, www.HugYourKidsToday.com.