Online bidding for a Christchurch man's 60-second-or-less Comfort Hug hit $100 last night as word of "Hamish the Hugger" spread nationwide.
Hamish Middleton, 29, of Riccarton, yesterday declared himself as the mystery man selling a non-sexual, human-to-human hug through internet auction site TradeMe.
Middleton is a youth support worker who cares for children battling depression and suicidal tendencies. He said the auction was launched as a fun way to get people thinking about those around them who might need a hug.
"There are a hell of a lot of families out there who don't even hug their kids any more ... and a teacher can't even give a kid a hug," Middleton said.
He plans to give all the money raised to the children's ward at Christchurch Hospital.
The recipient of Middleton's one-time-only cuddle could be any male or female who was genuinely in need of some good-hearted kindness.
The hug would be tailor-made to the buyer's needs, but Middleton expected the average "huggee" to require about 20 seconds of hugging. The hug had a maximum duration of a minute.
A report in yesterday's Press saw bidding rocket from a former top offer of $1.50 to $35 by noon. By 9pm it had reached $100. Middleton was yesterday inundated with calls from radio stations nationwide, including one that offered to fly him to Auckland to collect the prize.
"I am willing to accept bids from the Gold Coast and Southern Italy," Middleton said, pointing out that the recipient had to fly him to wherever they were outside Christchurch.
About 100 people were logged on yesterday to catch the auction action as the bids climbed. As The Press went to print, a potential buyer from Taihape, called Planetreplant, had the highest bid. Online details showed she was "not single", first name Sharon. Bidding for the Comfort Hug closes tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the hug-frenzy, a Therapeutic Slap was posted on TradeMe as an antidote to Comfort Hugs. No bids for the slap had been placed.
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