1,500 hugs needed April 26

CANFIELD – WANTED: 1,500 people to hug their way to a new world record.

If you happen to be one of those people who gets squeamish about your personal space, this story might not be for you.

Jeff Ondash of Canfield will have to hug someone every 4.8 seconds to fulfill his dream of breaking a Guinness World Record for giving the most hugs in an hour.

A self-described, lifelong hugger, Ondash, 49, said his motto has always been “To make the world a better place, one hug at a time.”

The event will take place at 11 a.m. April 26 at Warren’s Mollenkopf Stadium, 860 Elm Rd. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and the hug-a-thon kicks off five Trumbull County Relay for Life events.

Ondash joked that he has undertaken a tough training regimen to maximize his odds for success.

“I’ve been in seclusion with a world famous hugging trainer,” he said. “I have been working out four or five times a day in preparation for this world record.”

Read more in Sunday’s Vindicator and at vindy.com