The contemporary notion of ‘polish’ has become synonymous with a range of superficial attributes ranging from the cut of a man’s pants and the shine of his shoes to the grooming of his person and the affectation of his speech. But the true definition of a “polished man” cuts deeper, encompassing not only the man without but also the man within.

YGAP, an Australia-based organization working to empower communities disadvantaged by poverty to become self-sustainable, recognized this distinction and launched the Polished Man Challenge in acknowledgement of it. This unique fundraising initiative is centered around an innovative campaign that challenges men to help end violence against children by raising awareness and funds to support the 1 in 5 children who suffer physical and sexual violence before the age of 18. To this end, men around the globe are encouraged to paint a single nail for the duration of the campaign as a symbol of their support.

The idea for the campaign was sparked when YGAP’s CEO, Elliott Costello, met a young girl named Thea while visiting Hagar International, one of YGAP’s project partners,  in Cambodia. Though Costello and Thea did not share a common language, the two played Tic-Tac-Toe and other games for hours. At the end of the night, Thea drew a heart on Elliot’s palm, and then painted all of his nails blue.  And so the idea  for the Polished Man initiative was born.

While this year’s campaign has been focused on the period between October 1^st and 15^th, funds raised through November 10^th will still benefit this year’s campaign so there’s still time sign up and help. With two weeks left to donate, here are 5 creative ways you can join the campaign to help the 1-in-5 children who experience violence globally:

• Host a Monday Night Football Party for Polished Man
• Plan a dinner party for friends and request a donation to Polished Man in exchange for food and wine
• Organize an evening out with 5% of the night’s drink sales donated to Polished Man
• Share an eye-catching photo of your painted nail on social media and a link to your fundraising page
• Host a Halloween party with an entrance fee going to Polished Man

Paint a nail, help save a child – there’s not much to think about in that equation now is there?

Find out more and sign up at https://www.polishedman.com/.

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