The LIFEWISE Big Sleepout is an annual event aimed at raising serious funds and channeling significant attention in the direction of solving homelessness in the city of Auckland. It is a night where business and community leaders forgo their creature comforts for a night of ‘rough sleeping’ as a way of making a public stand against homelessness. Put simply, it’s a no-holds-barred approach to exposing what is often an invisible issue.
The ultimate aim of the LIFEWISE Big Sleepout is bring an end to homelessness – for good. The continued success of this event goes a long way to meeting this highly achievable goal. As a result, we remain equipped to address the issue of homelessness at every level of influence – meeting the immediate and the long-term needs of the homeless while at the same time working strategically with non-government and government bodies to find solutions. Check out The Issue for more info on the work of LIFEWISE in this area.
So what were the details of the 2011 LIFEWISE Big Sleepout?
When: Thursday, July 7th to Friday, July 8th, 2011 (6.30pm to 8am)
Where: A secure and largely exposed area within Auckland’s CBD
What happened: Business and community leaders, politicians and celebrities became ‘rough sleepers’ for one night in Auckland’s CBD. Each participant raised sponsorship in the lead up to the night with all money raised directly funding solutions based services for the homeless in Auckland. LIFEWISE provided all meals; all participants needed to bring was a sleeping bag and basics like a change of clothing. The night was informative, life-changing and above all, it will continue to go a long way to solving homelessness in this great city of ours.
Sponsorship: To achieve our goal we asked each participant to raise a minimum of $1,000. However many participants set and exceeded ambitious fundraising goals far beyond this minimum! Many participants were surprised at how easy it was to reach and exceed their fundraising goal.
What next: Register your interest for the 2012 Lifewise Big Sleepout at: bigsleepout@lifewise.org.nz. We’ll take it from there.
