Executives raise $650K for Covenant House in sleep out event

53 local executives and 'notables' raised a total of $650,000 for Covenant House Vancouver's crisis program in its annual sleep out event.

Covenant House Vancouver'sManager of Major DonorsMarty Staniforthsaid it was the most the event has ever raised in the four years it's been held.

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Participants were provided with nothing more than a piece of cardboard, a toque, and a sleeping bag. They slept in the downtown Vancouver alley behind Covenant House.

"The money raised through tonight's event will go toward funding our crisis program. We have a 54 bed crisis program that runs seven days a week," said Staniforth. "The crisis program is for both men an women between the ages of 16 and 24."

The program helps those in need with things likefood, clothing,shelter, and counselling.

'It's tough, it's cold, and it's hard'

"Even 15 minutes on the concrete and your bones startto ache. These guys and girls, by the time they're done, they'll spend seven hours on the concrete," said Staniforth.

Recently retired B.C. Hydro manager Kelvin Ketchum says he probably only got onehour of sleep, but he found the event gratifying, and will likely take part again next year.

"It was a really good chance to experience what homeless people go through. And we only had to do it for one night," said Ketchum. "I can't imagine getting up this morning and looking forward to sleeping out again tonight. It's tough, it's cold, and it's hard."

Powerex managerGordon Dobson-Mackwas back for his second year sleeping in the alley. Though the temperature hovered around zero degrees, he was happy that it didn't rain, like it did last year.

"I got a nice piece of double-wide cardboard that was two-ply. It was comfortable in the sense that it was wide enough to roll over, because I kept having tochange positions," said Dobson-Mack."I'd sleep inthese 10 or 15 minute stitches."

"We're not pretending that these participantsare homeless," Staniforth said. "We're just trying, in a movement of solidarity, get some people together to spend a moment in time in the shoes of thosewho, by no choice, do this on a regular basis."