The Vinnies CEO Sleepout will take place in Australia this Thursday, June 23 with over 1500 CEOs participating across 12 different cities. Over 100,000 people experience homelessness in Australia and the Vinnies CEO Sleepout raises funds that support homeless services across Australia.

The Vinnies CEO Sleepout began as a local community venture in Sydney’s Parramatta in 2006, the brainchild of a local business leader, Bernard Fehon, Managing Director of Tactical Solutions.

With the help of Vinnies, business associates, volunteers and his family, Bernard held the inaugural event on June 21,  2006 at Sydney Olympic Park.

In 2010, the event went national and exceeded expectations, attracting almost 700 CEOs in 7 cities nationally and raising $2.9 million to directly assist people experiencing homelessness.

In 2013, some regional events were also added in NSW in Wollongong and Newcastle. With over 1,000 participating business leaders, the event surpassed the $5.3 million fundraising mark.

In 2015, the event celebrated a milestone with its 10th anniversary.

Every dollar the Vinnies CEO Sleepout has raised helps provide crucial assistance to people experiencing homelessness,  with the aim of breaking the cycle of homelessness permanently for as many people as possible.

In 2016, the reality is that whilst we should celebrate all that we have achieved together, we must also remember that so much more still needs to be done.

Watch this brief video of Malcom Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia) and Sir Peter Cosgrove (Governor General of Australia) discussing the importance of addressing homelessness and how important it is to support events like the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Source: Vinnies CEO Sleepout Website