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 21 June 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 will celebrate its 10th anniversary, a milestone that sees us aim high for a $10 million fundraising target. But this target is more than just a number; behind every dollar is the potential to not only provide crucial assistance to people experiencing homelessness but to make inroads to addressing the very causes of homelessness with the aim of breaking the cycle of homelessness permanently for as many people as possible.
The reality is that as we head into the 10th year of the event, whilst we should celebrate all that we have achieved together, we must also remember that so much more still needs to be done.