Need a Hug? Broadway Will Unite in Times Square for Big Hug Day This Sunday!

This Sunday, January 21, is Big Hug Day and Broadway casts, crews and fans alike are uniting for a big hug at Times Square. The group hug will take place at noon ET on the 21st, at the Red Steps / Father Duffy Statue in Times Square. Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend and help demonstrate the power of love.

Laura Heywood, aka @BroadwayGirlNYC, will be leading the hug, joined by BroadwayWorld, the Times Square Alliance and numerous Broadway cast and crew members.

Through a Prizeo campaign, Big Hug Day is also raising funds for children's hospitals across the country: Prizeo.com/BigHug.

Simultaneous Big Hug events are occurring around the globe on January 21, in Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Dubai, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Latvia, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and Vietnam. In Israel, Palestinian and Jewish children are coming together for a group hug.

The Times Square Big Hug was launched by an inspiring group of kids from Florida, ages 5-12, who have already brought The Big Hug to a national stage. In December, they traveled to New York City, where they hugged The Rockettes and the casts of several Broadway shows, and were even featured on the Today Show: http://www.bighugday.com/videos/.

One seven-year-old participant says, "We believe in the power of kindness and that people will want to come out and show the world all the good still out there. Bad only wins if good does nothing."

The #BigHugDay campaign is raising funds for children's hospitals. To donate through the campaign, please visit Prizeo.com/BigHug.

Prizeo is a celebrity digital fundraising platform that provides influential personalities an unparalleled platform to raise funds and awareness for charitable causes by offering fans the chance to win unique experiences. Launched in 2013, Prizeo has raised tens of millions of dollars for thousands of charities and has ignited a base of millennials to become first-time charitable donors through an exciting and inclusive platform.

Prizeo campaigns have featured celebrities such as One Direction, Justin Bieber, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Will Ferrell, Lady Gaga, Bill Murray, Samuel L. Jackson, Steven Tyler, Mark Ruffalo, George R.R. Martin, Ed SHeeran, Zac Efron, Tyler Oakley, Connor Franta and Kobe Bryant.

Prizeo is a member of the Charity Network, named one of Fast Company's 2017 Most Innovative Companies. It serves as a sister company to Charitybuzz, an online charity auction platform, and Chideo, a charity video network. To learn more, please visit: www.prizeo.com.

Laura Heywood is a professional enthusiast: a multi-faceted host, consultant, performer, pundit, and writer widely recognized for her commitment to positivity. Her formerly anonymous alter-ego, @BroadwayGirlNYC, is widely regarded as a leading advocate, ambassador, and best friend to Broadway (Forbes calls her "the most vocal and visible supporter in the business"). She has worked in fields ranging from radio (San Francisco Giants) to commercial acting (Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty) to social media consulting (FOUND: the Musical; Hello Again; singer Tori Amos), always bringing a point of view of contagious joy. Laura works regularly as a celebrity interviewer for outlets including AOL's Build Series and CBS New York, and is the creator of the web series The Between The Shows Show. She volunteers regularly and is on the Board of Directors for the national arts & education non-profit Story Pirates.