Sometimes all you need a hug.
That's the message of the Happy Mother Huggers.
The Regina-based duo of Mark Johnston and Eddy Alvaro takes requests for free hugs through social media.
The Happy Mother Huggers came about after Johnston did a free hug campaign downtown one day.
Since January, people from all over the city have been messaging the Mother Huggers with requests for hug deliveries. It means busy days, but to they also get something back.
Johnston said they recently passed on a hug from a daughter who hadn't seen her mom in over a month.
"Her mom actually broke down crying because she was just so excited about a hug from complete strangers but it was awesome because it came from her daughter," Johnston said. "For us, it's been awesome because Eddy likes hugs, I like hugs, and we just meet new people."
They say they've delivered some crucial hugs to people facing stress over finals and handed out countless birthday hugs.
Fighting for hugs
Once a hug is delivered, Johnston said it almost always catches on.
"Everyone else sees and says 'Can I have a hug? Can I have a hug?' " he said, laughing. "One I went to, I went to give this one person a hug and she got pushed out of the way by someone who was there (saying), 'I want a hug first.'
The pair have done their research. They said hugs that last longer than ten seconds can relieve stress, reduce symptoms of depression and can be therapeutic for both parties.
"You don't know what someone else is going through, so this is kind of another reason why we wanted to start it," Alvaro said. "People are going through stuff that they may not talk about or they may not verbalize and a small action like a hug really goes a long way and we've seen the thanks for that."
The pair is planning on giving out Mother's Day hug deliveries on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. You can message the Happy Mother Huggers on Instagram to send someone a hug.