Western Australian CEOs have raised over $1.2 million in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s CEO Sleepout this week.
Western Australian CEOs have raised over $1.2 million in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s CEO Sleepout this week.
On a cold and rainy night in Perth, 111 Perth CEOs gathered at the WACA Ground to raise awareness for homelessness by sleeping overnight on the cricket ground.
Among the CEOs who participated, ABN Group managing director Dale Alcock raised the most money in WA for the second year running, contributing just more than $148,000 for the charity.
In the 2013 Vinnies CEO Sleepout Mr Alcock raised just less than $130,000.
Chief executive officer of Crown Perth and five-time participant in the Sleepout, Barry Felstead, came in just behind Mr Alcock again this year, raising $95,821.
Brierty managing director Peter McBain also raised a significant contribution of $86,701.
Hall & Prior Aged Care CEO Graeme Prior, Kentz country manager Brian Kelly, and Benz Industries WA CEO Bob Bollen were also among the top 10 contributors to the charity this year, each raising about $50,000.
This year’s event celebrated five years of raising awareness of homelessness across Australia, as well as having raised over $3 million to support the society’s aim of halving homelessness by 2020 in WA.
The first national Vinnies CEO Sleepout was held in 2010, with 99 WA businesses and community leaders braving the cold and sleeping rough for a night in winter.
Their efforts raised a total of $474,185.
Across the country, about $5.46 million has been raised for the CEO Sleepout so far, with donations taken until the end of August.
The funds will be used by Vinnies to help individuals and families affected by homelessness.
The society says there are more than 100,000 Australians who find themselves homeless each night, with nearly half of them women, and a quarter under the age of 18.