Photo by: Sharon Community Education
Ken Nwadike Jr. is a documentary filmmaker and peace activist. Nwadike Jr. founded the Free Hugs Project after the tragic events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. As a runner in high school and college, he was deeply affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. To show support for the runners and the community, Nwadike Jr. began training to run for the next Boston Marathon in solidarity. However, he narrowly missed qualifying for the deadline of the race. Although Nwadike Jr. could not participate in the competition, he would find a calling to give free hugs to marathon runners.
Photo by: The Oracle
In 2014, Nwadike Jr. attended the Boston Marathon to encourage spreading love by offering runners with free hugs. The event was captured on video and would be later published on YouTube. The video became viral with his act of kindness lifting the spirits of the runners. Nwadike Jr. states: “I provided free hugs to runners as encouragement along the route. This simple act made national news headlines and lifted runners' spirits. Hugs produced smiles and gave runners an extra boost as they ran.”
Photo by: The Baker Orange
The Free Hugs Project would become popular in 2016, and Nwadike Jr. would help both police and protesters, acting as a mediator for peace between both sides. He has de-escalated situations by talking to people and being empathetic. He has been covered by media networks such as BBC, CNN, USA Today, etc. He has also become a motivational speaker for high school and college students, promoting peace and empathy. If you would like to attend the event for Ken Nwadike, he will be in the Guidrey Center in Dean College. The event will take place on February 25th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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