Kevin Bacon is using the power of his six-degrees of separation network to kick off a stay-home campaign on social media. And he’s mobilized friends like Elton John and David Beckham to help spread the word. “Right now, like people around the world, I’m staying home because it saves lives,” he says in his Instagram video.”And it’s the
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Read More‘Worth Staying Home For’
So who is Bacon staying home for? He lists his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, then invites everyone to share their own “I’m Staying Home For” message on social media, then “tag six friends to do the same. Since we’re all connected by various degrees — trust me, I know — we can work together to stay home and keep each other safe,” Bacon says.
Prostate-cancer survivor, Elton John was quick to respond, listing husband, David Furnish, and their boys, Zachary and Elijah.
And David Beckham, who often supports young cancer patients with hospital visits and messages, followed suit: “I’m staying home for Victoria and our kids … let’s stop this coronavirus spread together, ” Beckham wrote.
The Six Degrees game, which connects Kevin Bacon to other Hollywood actors, inspired the actor to found a game-changing nonprofit aimed at connecting people with “hidden gem” causes. “We facilitate free celebrity shout outs (and drop-ins) to spotlight the variety of fun and easy ways that anyone can make an impact on a cause,” the SixDegrees.org website explains, ‘simply by doing things they already do.”
Like Bacon, many celebrities — including Taylor Swift, Criss Angel, Michael Douglas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ariana Grande — have used their social media reach to spread this crucial public-health message.
Bacon’s Pediatric Cancer Support: The Cake-Smash Challenge
Most notably, Bacon has supported pediatric cancer through the cake-smash challenge. While the challenge has been used globally, the National Institutes of Health’s Children’s Inn — a free residential facility for families with seriously ill children participating in NIH research — has been partnering with Bacon’s Six Degrees Foundation in partnership Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to raise funds in support of those affected by pediatric cancer.
According to the SixDegrees.Org website, the organization supports those “affected by Pediatric Cancer and creates awareness for the organizations that are doing the groundwork to better treat these children and support their loved ones.” Every September, through the #Cakeitlikeakid challenge, Bacon encourages others to post a cake-smashing video to “spread awareness for this great cause by sharing your own challenge video on social media.”
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