InstagramThese famous men are sporting a mani with a mission.
When Zac Efron shared a photo of his pointer finger with a coat of fresh red polish on social media, he sparked a few questions. Was the color for a role? Was he simply trying out a new look? What had inspired the Hollywood hunk to dip his toes finger into the world of nail decor.
Turns out—it's all for a good cause. "Happy to paint one nail and be a @PolishedMan this month to say no to violence against children," the actor captioned his Instagram photo. "1 in 5 children are subject to physical and/or sexual violence before the age of 18 and that's one too many. Find out how you can help/donate at http://polishedman.com."
According to the causes' description, being a Polished Man "means you don't turn your back on the vulnerable. You raise your voice—and nail—to say, 'not on my watch'. You embrace the smirks and know it doesn't matter; there are worse things than being embarrassed by a little mani."
As a part of the challenge, each star also had to nominate a fellow gentleman to break out the polish. For Efron, that meant getting James Marsden, Hugh Jackman and Andy Bovine involved. "I nominate the following studs," the High School Musical alum complimented.
Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth have also jumped on the worthy bandwagon, sporting additional neon colors on their pointer fingers.
"Being a @PolishedMan isn't just about remembering to buy flowers, how many rounds you shout, or how much you lift," Chris wrote on Instagram. "It's about saying no to violence against children."
The nail polish regimen was inspired by a little girl who had been repeatedly physically and sexually assaulted in the orphanage where she lived. After meeting and bonding with CEO Elliot Costello, she painted his nail and said goodbye. The act and her story inspired him to raise awareness around violence against children through nail polish and the organization soon came to fruition.
The campaign has inspired nearly 7,000 Instagram posts so far this year with the hashtag and raised over $300,000 in 2015.
People all over the world can donate money to the charity, which will go toward trauma recovery and trauma prevention programs for children who have suffered or are at risk of suffering violence globally.
Don't fret—women can lend a finger, too. As the campaign's website suggest, ladies can paint their own nails and help their fellow men do the same.