Big Dave's Hug Hub

Here's an invitation to The Hug Hub, a pictorial of Dave Sylvester's 25-year journey of sharing hugs, high5s, hope, and happiness!
About this Event

On September 7, 2001, Dave Sylvester didn't hug his friend and mentor, Kevin Bowser. Four days later, Kevin was killed in the World Trade Center attacks.

Fueled by guilt and grief, Dave bicycled across the United States in 2002, hugging strangers along the way to heal. But he found the world was grieving too — so he kept going, and has now hugged over one million people across 50 states and 42 countries.

Now, on the 25th anniversary of September 11th, Dave partners with the Philadelphia Film Society to bring that 25-year journey home to Philadelphia's historic Prince Theater, in an immersive installation called The Hug Hub.

This isn't a gallery you walk past — it's one you walk into. Photographs from a quarter-century of embraces, from strangers on street corners to survivors at sites of tragedy, surround you with no narration required.
And when you find yourself wondering whether you could ever hug someone you just met, Dave will be there with his arms open.

What to expect:

• An immersive photo installation drawn from Dave's 25-year, million-hug journey across all 50 states and 42 countries
• A personal appearance by Dave Sylvester himself
• The chance to be part of the story, not just view it- with just one hug
• An evening built around hope and healing, timed to the 25th anniversary of September 11th
• A night that asks nothing of you but a willingness to close the distance between two people

Come as a stranger. Leave with a hug.