(CNN) When Scott Dittman learned that his friend was going to the Pittsburgh Pride parade to give out embraces with the LGBTQ advocacy group Free Mom Hugs, he thought that it would be nice to give out some dad hugs, too.

"My first thought was well if you had a hundred moms and a hundred dads presented with a child that identified with this population, my thought was that the moms overall would likely be more accepting so possibly dad hugs could be even more needed," Dittman told CNN

So he ordered a shirt online -- with the words "Free Dad Hugs" in large print -- and headed from his home in Karns City, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh for the annual gay pride parade on June 9.

Dittman says he thought he'd be in for a fun day, with people celebrating and partying but he also knew there might be some people who needed dad hugs.

But he didn't expect the emotional embraces some people gave him or how his story would touch so many people.

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