Crowdfunded effort to provide ‘free hugs’ arrives in Sacramento for first time
“Free Hugs” advertised the bright yellow sign carried by Anton Zyngier of HugTrain as he stepped off the Amtrak train at Sacramento Valley Station on Tuesday.
The “HugMaster” then walked around downtown giving out hugs to anyone who needed one including Lux “Doobi” Dubay, a person experiencing homelessness since October 2019.
“It feels good to be seen and acknowledged,” Dubay said.
It was the crowdfunded movement’s first stop in Sacramento since it started annual trips across the U.S. and Canada in 2009 with the goal of spreading holiday joy and easing loneliness.
Zyngier said hugs have a lot of health benefits from regulating stress to strengthening the immune system. “You never know when someone might need a hug,” he said. “My job is just to be there for them if they need it.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 1:45 PM.