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Give the guy a hug for trying
Video
By Jordan Cohen
The cancer survivor vows to try again to break a world record.
WARREN — Cancer survivor Jeff Ondash of Canfield hoped to make the Guinness Book of World Records for most hugs in an hour.
He fell short, but the problem wasn’t time; it was turnout.
Ondash, wearing a crimson racing suit with his stage name Teddy McHuggin on the back, hugged 447 people, well short of the Guinness record of 765 set last year. The site of his attempt was Mollenkopf Stadium, which hosted the kickoff ceremonies of Trumbull County Relay for Life on Saturday.
Most of the ticket holders paid $5 for the privilege of hugging McHuggin with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society, sponsor of the Trumbull relay.
Ondash was not disheartened.
“I hugged 300 people in the first 10 minutes,” he said. “If more people had shown up, I could have shattered the record, but I’m going to try again and soon.”
Ondash, 49, said he has a personal commitment to the Cancer Society because of his own experience with cancer at the age of 12. Doctors discovered a cancerous lesion on his chest, and he underwent successful radiation therapy following its removal. He remains cancer free.
He said his daughter, Carly, came up with the name of Teddy McHuggin, and “it just seemed right to create this character.”
Ondash had been approved by the Guinness Book to attempt his hugging record. Under what he called “Guinness’ strict rules,” three judges and a timekeeper had to be on hand and the entire event videotaped.
The judges were Atty. Mark Gervelis, Susan Shafer of Warren and Dr. Robert Brodell, one of the founders of Trumbull County Relay for Life in 1993.
“At that time, we had 12 teams and raised $28,000, a record,” Dr. Brodell said. “Now we raise between $850,000 and $1 million each year.”
Many of those hugged by Ondash had their personal reasons for participating in the Hug-A-Thon. Several said it was the experience of watching family members battle cancer that spurred them to become active.
Vicki Graora of Vienna Township said that her son and father suffered from cancer 10 years ago. At the time, her son was 10 and her father, 65.
“Both are cancer survivors today,” she said. “When cancer touches your life, you do whatever you have to do to win the war against it.”
Jackie Shannon of Warren echoed those sentiments.
“I lost my mother to cancer and my father is a cancer survivor so it’s very important for us to support this,” Shannon said.
Shannon, accompanied by her daughter Arianna, 11, and son Patrick, 12, is an active supporter in ways that go beyond a Hug-A-Thon or relay participation. She is a liaison for the Ohio Cancer Registrars Association, which shares information with the Trumbull County Chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Ondash, the owner of Ondash Advertising, Canfield, said he’d like to try for the record again in two weeks when the Warren Relay for Life is held at Courthouse Square. That still has to be approved by the Society. Pam Wilson, income development coordinator for the Trumbull Relay for Life, said she does not know yet if the logistics can be arranged.
If not, Ondash still plans to try within 30 days.
“We’ve figured that each hug should last 4.25 seconds, which gives you around 14 per minute, and we exceeded that pace during the first 10 minutes today,” Ondash said.
“I know we can do that pace just as easily considering there will be more people at the relays.”
Ondash said he has had offers to set the hugging record in larger cities such as Las Vegas and Orlando but refuses to consider them.
“I want to do it here for the greatest people in the world,” Ondash said, pointing to the letters MVP on his racing suit.
“Those don’t stand for most valuable player,” he said. “They stand for Mahoning Valley Pride.”