CLEVELAND -- Reid Mihalko hosted the first cuddle party in New York City nearly two years ago.

The parties feature touching, caressing, stroking hair -- all by people who have never before met.

Now cuddle parties are popping up all across the country, Cleveland television station WEWS reported.

An Ohio couple wants to bring the cuddle craze to the Buckeye state.

Mike and Kristen Kaufman are preparing for cuddle party training.

"I was just curious. I wanted to see if people could actually go to a party and not have it turn into a big orgy," Kristen Kaufman said.

In the cuddle world, orgies are not an option, the station said.

Here are the rules:

• Pajamas stay on at all times
• No sex
• No simulated sex
• You must get a verbal yes before you can touch anybody

If you attend a cuddle party, don't expect to get grabbed as you walk in the door, the station reported.

First, there are warmup exercises and icebreakers. After that, cuddle away.

The station asked the couple if they were wondering "Will there be a bunch of pajama-wearing weirdos there?"

"These are people that you would probably never talk to, you would never hang out with under normal circumstances, but by the time you leave the party you feel like you know these people," Mike Kaufman said.

And the couple knows what to do if someone doesn't like how another person is cuddling.

"They take this bell and say, 'Find your swim buddy, raise your hand.' They've never had to use it, but they say that because it breaks up the tension. It makes people feel like there is a safety measure," Mike Kaufman said.

People who attend the parties don't have to cuddle with everybody or anybody. What's important is that cuddle partners feel comfortable.

"In my job I deal with emotional problems all day, but I'm not allowed to let that show. I'm not allowed to express that because it's a sign of weakness. These parties really allow you to do that," Kristen Kaufman said.

You have to pay about $20 to get into a party, but the Kaufmans said the investment pays you back.

"The training is life-changing and for a lot of people cuddle parties are life-changing," Kaufman said.

For more information, check out CuddleParty.com.