Local campaign honouring lost child returns for third year

PRINCE GEORGE – Downtown Winterfest on February 15 will see the return of the “This Hug is 20 Seconds Campaign.” From 1:00-3:00 p.m., campaign creator Aaron Vanderpool and his family, alongside volunteers, will be giving free hugs as a way to remember Vanderpool’s child Taraji, who passed away in 2022.

“This event came out of really just honoring them and the the last hug that I got from them the night before they passed away,” Vanderpool said.

Shortly after losing Taraji, Vanderpool explained he went through many different ways of trying to manage the grief, with most of them not helping. However, when somebody he knew jokingly suggested a hugging event, Vanderpool says a “lightbulb went off,” and thus, the “This Hug is 20 Seconds” campaign was born. Now entering its third year, the campaign has grown into a way to both remember Taraji and their final hug with their father, and also a way to give back to the community in a way to honour Taraji.

“What it’s really grown into is something that allows the community to participate and allows them to not only express the grief that they may be feeling in a positive way, but also as a broader message to anyone who actually comes across the event that it’s okay, you’re not alone,” Vanderpool said.