Neil Patrick Harris Issues a Dancing Challenge for St. Jude

Neil Patrick Harris wants YOU to dance for a bunch of strangers—but it’s nothing weird—it’s for charity. On October 26, the East Hampton star posted a Facebook video announcing his partnership with the new app Duuple, a fun and interactive way to challenge your friends to perform embarrassing stunts, or in this case, raise money for charity. The first charitable challenge issued by Harris is The Best Dance Moves in Support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The rules of the challenge are simple. Harris explains, “Submit your best dance moves into the app today and the winner will receive a $500 prize and…wait for it…I will match the winnings to actually deliver a $1000 donation to help the kids at St. Jude.”

This new challenge follows other viral challenges that served to raise funds and awareness for worthy causes, including the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Robert Downey Jr.‘s ROHHAD Muddy Puddle Challenge. “Over the past few years we’ve witnessed how social sharing can turn a simple act into a movement—especially when aligned with charities and social initiatives,” Harris says in the release. “Duuple is that spark. It’s the best way to challenge your friends, get out of your comfort zone and do a world of good around you.”

Harris is a fitting choice for the company spokesman. Chief Executive Officer Abby Frimping says, “The most important part of developing Duuple was to make it fun. And his energy is synonymous with our app and culture.” The goal of Duuple is to provide a social media platform that connects people from beyond the screen and to provide discoverability and vitality for individuals and non-profit organizations.

In the announcement video, Harris offers viewers suffering from “heartbreak, sloth, listlessness, boredom, a lack of courage, a desire for a good time” a new way to challenge anyone to do just about anything, no matter how ridiculous or stomach-wrenching. While Duuple certainly offers ample opportunities to embarrass your friends, at its heart, it’s a door to do goodwill. And hopefully, Harris’s challenge will bring some much needed attention and support to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as they continue to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric, catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.