Paul Mitchell Schools Announce 7th Annual Free Hugs Day

Sometimes you just need a hug, and Paul Mitchell Schools across America will fill that need on Tuesday, October 13, 2015. Inspired by the Sick Puppies YouTube music video about Juan Mann’s popular Free Hugs campaign, Paul Mitchell Schools have held Free Hugs Days since 2009, giving Free Hugs in Times Square, the Alamo, and downtown EVERYWHERE! Carrying on the tradition for the seventh straight year, students and staff will take to the streets to spread a little love throughout the continental United States and Hawaii twice on October 13: once during day school and once during night school hours.

Dressed in their signature black outfits, carrying handmade “Free Hugs” signs, and of course!) sporting fabulous hairstyles, roughly 14,000 future professionals from 110 Paul Mitchell cosmetology schools will head for plazas, parks, and other popular spots to offer hugs and make people’s day. Leading Paul Mitchell artists, educators, top executives, and superstars will join the students at Free Hugs locations in their areas.

Asked about the annual event, Paul Mitchell Schools Dean and Cofounder Winn Claybaugh said, “Yes, our Paul Mitchell Schools across the country hit the streets once a year to offer Free Hugs. We also have annual events to honor September 11 and veterans, we visit care facilities for the elderly, we raise awareness about cancer, and we’ve raised over $15.2 million for a variety of charitable causes. We absolutely prepare our graduates with the best training to cut and color beautiful hair, pass the state board exam, and launch highly successful careers, as recognized by our 30-plus years of experience. But we also help our students live better lives, become better citizens and human beings, and know how to give back to their communities. Now, that's a great education!”

For more information about Paul Mitchell Schools’ 2015 Free Hugs Day, visit www.paulmitchell.edu and use the school locator to find a school near you.

About Paul Mitchell Schools: At Paul Mitchell Schools, we believe that education is an adventure and the learning experience needs to be fun. Our learning leaders are trained to draw out the artist in every student and prepare them to succeed in both their chosen careers and their lives as globally aware and community-conscious contributors. Through our annual “FUNraising” campaign, we’ve raised and donated over $15.2 million in support of many charitable causes. We’ve built homes with Habitat for Humanity, fed thousands of African orphans, and supported the victims of AIDS, breast cancer, homelessness, abuse, and hundreds of other causes.

Established over 30 years ago, the Paul Mitchell network is nearly 100,000 salons strong and in 81 countries worldwide; every professional hairdresser knows the Paul Mitchell name. Now, with the arrival of Paul Mitchell Schools, we’ve taken the world of cosmetology education by storm! Visit www.paulmitchell.edu to learn more.

About the Free Hugs Campaign: Feeling depressed and lonely after numerous personal difficulties, Australian Juan Mann was deeply touched by a random hug from a stranger at a party. What began as one person giving hugs in a Sydney mall eventually evolved into a worldwide social movement of individuals offering hugs to strangers in public places. The campaign received international attention in 2006 as the result of a YouTube music video by Australian band Sick Puppies. For more information, visit the official Free Hugs Campaign Web site at www.freehugscampaign.org.