Adam King is urging people around Ireland to share a virtual hug with loved ones on National Hugging Day.
The six-year-old from Cork became a star after appearing on The Late Late Toy Show in 2020, showcasing his Covid-19 inspired greeting.
Buildings across the country, including the Mansion House in Dublin and both city halls in Cork and Waterford, are set to light up in pink to mark the initiative on Thursday.
Mr King took to social media and invited people to get involved by sharing the hashtag #NationalHuggingDay.
*A Hug for You*
Tomorrow is #NationalHuggingDay ! It seems strange to celebrate this in a year when we can't hug due to COVID. Instead, Adam would like you to use his #virtualhug to celebrate tomorrow! Stay tuned for an exciting announcement! #AdamsVirtualHug 💟📨📬💟 pic.twitter.com/bJx9uvhQp8
— AdventuresWAD (@AdventuresWAD) January 20, 2021
“Hello everyone, tomorrow is National Hugging Day,” he said in the video posted Wednesday.
“Because we can’t hug each other this year, I’m sending you all a virtual hug, so keep an eye out, because you might see my virtual hug near you. Bye!”
The six-year-old offered his first virtual hug to “all our friends in America,” along with a congratulations to the newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden.
Next in line for virtual hugs were the Cork University Hospital Charity, the Temple Street Foundation and the Children’s National Ambulance Service BUMBLEance, who “have greatly helped Adam during his life”.
Our next #virtualhug goes out to 3 v special groups who have greatly helped Adam during his life.
To find out more and make a donation, click on the links below:https://t.co/fVsaALgu04https://t.co/8PqNA4ZA0Jhttps://t.co/9hJwXfuiar#NationalHuggingDay #adamsvirtualhug pic.twitter.com/cgoAaBMwAB
— AdventuresWAD (@AdventuresWAD) January 21, 2021
Charities have said a hug via a donation could help their services stay in place throughout the Covid-19 crisis.