04-04-2025
Rockford celebrates ‘National Hug a Newsperson Day' with warm embraces
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – April 4 is National Hug a Newsperson Day.
I spent some time downtown Rockford to see if I could brighten people's day by pulling them close for a warm, friendly embrace. It went shockingly well.
You'd think people downtown would be too busy, and some were, but it didn't take long before someone wanted to just give me a hug.
Of course, I was holding a 'Free Hugs' sign, helping me to at the very least start conversations about the special day for those of us in news.
In all, after about two hours, I received more than a dozen hugs, including from those from two Rockford residents who say they're all about making life better for others.
'We need it man,' said Cameron Henderson. 'There's a lot of distance between people, naturally. And think closing that gap sometimes does a lot. It does a lot for the mental [wellness] and the heart.'
Fernando Perez agrees.
'There's something about just hugging someone, especially if someone is having a bad week,' Perez said. 'A hug just relieves all that stress.'
Hug a newsperson. (Ask for permission first.)
If you aren't able to hug your newsperson, you can send them a virtual one.
You can also download our coloring page. When you're finished coloring it, send it to your favorite newsperson to show them how much you appreciate them.
Or solve the word search puzzle we created for the day using common news words.
Use #HugANewspersonDay to post on social media.
Officials at National Day Calendar are still researching the exact origins of the day. What they do know so far is that it has been celebrated since at least 1998. The day was previously known as Hug a Newsman Day.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary tells us that the word 'newsman' dates back to 1596. They have been working hard for many years to bring us the news from around the world.
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