June City Affair: GROUPHUG St. Louis (presented by City Affair)

Tired of people hating on STL? So are we! It’s time for a GROUPHUG!

IF YOU LOVE ST. LOUIS, SHOW ST. LOUIS!

Calling all lovers of St. Louis! This city needs your tender embrace! Too often we hear more about what’s wrong with our city rather than the things that make it great. And far too often we counter this negativity with words rather than actions. Now is our chance to change that.

CITY LOVERS UNITE TO GIVE ST. LOUIS A PROVERBIAL HUG

WHAT: GROUPHUG ST. LOUIS

WHO: All lovers of St. Louis

WHEN: Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 7 – 10 pm

WHERE: STyLehouse, 3159 Cherokee St., 63118

HOW MUCH: Free!

City Affair presents GROUPHUG, the first event of its kind in the nation!

WHAT IS IT?

We are asking you and your friends to scour the city for your favorite people, places, and objects—ones that define our city and/or help to explain why you love St. Louis—and HUG these subjects for the camera. Get a friend to snap a photograph of you with your arms wrapped around your favorite St. Louis building, business, monument, person, etc. On June 2, all participants and friends are invited to attend the GROUPHUG party to view pics, imbibe, listen to music and express your love for STL.

Cleveland-based Saving Cities will be filming portions of the event and conducting interviews to document grassroots efforts to “save” Rust Belt cities from the community up. Put forward your best photograph—and our city’s best face—for our guests from Cleveland. For more information, visit www.savingcities.com

OK, I DID IT. NOW WHAT?

E-mail your photograph(s) to: grouphugstl@gmail.com by Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 5 p.m. More than one is encouraged! Tell us your name, where you are or who you are with.

WHY AM I DOING THIS?

Each submission is a chance to win prizes at the GROUPHUG event on June 2, including $100 cash, gift certificates to various St. Louis businesses, and, of course, free hugs. Prize will be awarded to Jury’s Selection for best submission.

For a list of submission rules and guidelines, event news and sneak peaks, visit http://grouphugstl.tumblr.com/.