Valentine’s Day has become a popular holiday to show love not only to your significant other but also to your favorite charity or cause. There is even a movement to turn February 14^th into Generosity Day, a day to celebrate acts of kindness and “to create more space for generosity.” 

Many local charities are using fashion shows, auctions and Valentine’s Day-themed parties to raise funds. Here are two global events using the hearts-and-flowers-day to increase awareness on important issues:

Cupid Undie Run

Last weekend, people around the country ran half-naked in the cold to benefit the Children’s Tumor Foundation during Cupid’s Undie Run.  On Saturday, February 16^th, even more participants will strip down to their skivvies in Cleveland, St. Louis, and New York.

All donations to the run go directly to The Children’s Tumor Foundation, an organization dedicated to ending neurofibromatosis, a debilitating genetic disease, which causes tumors to grow all over the nervous system.

You can make a donation and check out the hilarious picture from the event, which will be held in a total of 17 locations in the U.S. (and also in Sydney, Australia) this year, on the Cupid’s Undie Run website.

One Billion Rising

One Billion Rising is calling on women around the world to come together on February 14^th and demand an end to female-targeted violence and rape.

Encouraging one billion women to organize and/or participate in a local “rising,” this one-day global protest will take place on the 15^th anniversary of V-Day.  V-Day is a global activist movement that promotes creative events, such as annual benefit performances of  ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ to spread awareness, raise money and end violence against women and girls.

According to the website, a “rising” can be a flash mob, dance party, theatrical event, or a march, protest or strike. To find a local rising or for ideas to organize your own, check out the One Billion Rising website.