California Public Interest Research Group spokeswoman Emily Rusch said the campaign is using the concept of "six degrees of separation" to forward the message in support of Proposition 1A to as many people as possible -- and participants hope to eventually reach actor Kevin Bacon.
The "six degrees" idea, that everyone is connected within six degrees, is often linked to actor Kevin Bacon because of an popular trivia game known as "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."
At 10 a.m., more than 400 students from California universities began sending friends, family and acquaintances links to a student video promoting Proposition 1A.
The link was sent through e-mails, text messages and social networking Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook, according to CALPIRG.
Rusch was unsure of the likelihood of reaching Bacon, but said a couple of students are separated from the actor by just a couple of degrees.
Proposition 1A is a $9.95 billion bond measure to build a high-speed train service connecting Southern California to the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area.
Rusch acknowledged the struggling economy may affect voters' decisions in the upcoming election, but said the proposition would boost California's economy by creating jobs, and is also important for the environment.
Events were scheduled on 15 campuses throughout the state today at 11 a.m. to spread awareness about the proposition. In the Bay Area, advocates will gather at University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University, San Jose State University and University of California, Santa Cruz.
At 5 p.m., CALPIRG will announce the number of messages generated through the campaign.
