Annual St Vincent de Paul CEO sleepout set to raise homeless charity funds

Some of the country's most high profile CEOs and community leaders will camp out across the country tomorrow night to raise money and awareness for homelessness.  

The annual St Vincent de Paul CEO SleepOut began as a local community event in Sydney in 2006 and last year the 1,033 participants raised a total of $5.3 million nationally.  

This year, the Victorian sleepout will be held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne and in NSW, CEO's will sleep at Carriageworks and Eveleigh Markets in Eveleigh.  

So far this year Victoria’s 177 participating CEO’s have raised over $495,000 and NSW’s 326 participants have raised over $1.8 million.  

Last year, the Victorian event raised a total of $638,000 and NSW made it to $1,832, 573.  

So far this year, some of the highest individual fundraisers include;  

- Tony Barber, deputy CEO of Willis Australasia, who has raised $13,222.05,

- Timothy Collyer, managing director of Growthpoint Properties Australia, who has raised $11,645,

- Martin Leach, danaging director at Bendigo Property Services, who has raised $3,115.00,

- Holly Kramer, CEO at Best & Less, who has raised $119,901,

- Gary Barnier, managing director at Domain Principle Group, who has raised $7,650 and

- Ross Greenwood, presenter of Money News on 2GB radio, who has raised $1,600.  

- Georg Chmiel, the CEO of LJ Hooker has raised $11,450 for the sleep out tonight.

The purpose of the event is to raise funds and awareness for homelessness by asking CEO’s and community leaders to rise to the challenge and experience homelessness for one night.  

All the money raised goes to St Vincent de Paul’s homeless services to help the 100,000 people who sleep rough around the country each night.  

“The discomfort of sleeping on the streets is a fragment of the larger reality we hope to impart upon influential leaders of the community,” says St Vincent de Paul.  

They say the overall goal of the event is to eventually bring an end to homelessness.  

The event begins at 6pm tonight and finishes at 7am on Friday morning. The fundraising figures are as Wednesday afternoon.