By Abbey Cannan
Thirty-six business leaders have raised $104,000 by sleeping rough on the sand for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout in Maroochydore on Thursday 20 June.
Bin Boss Noosa owner David Greenwood was awarded highest fundraising individual runner up on the Sunshine Coast.
David said, “When I was younger, my mum would help with food parcels for the homeless at church.“
“My sister and I would sit and chat to them all while my mum would hand out food and it sat with me until now where I can try and make a difference and help out.
“I used to be in the army so sleeping on the ground wasn’t too bad. It was a big eye opener to see what they go through but secretly deep down I wish it was raining and colder to show everybody what people on the streets go through. They’re not in warm comfortable situations.“
David plans on participating next year with the aim of beating his $8000 record.
“My goal was $5000 and I’ve got some amazing clients and family and friends that were able to help out,“ he said.
“I had a few jobs where I asked them to pay it forward rather than sending them an invoice and they were more than happy to.
“I’m not a CEO, I’m just a local business owner, so if there’s people out there that can make a difference and help out, then I would encourage them to do so.“
Across the state, 511 CEOs slept out with $1.88 million raised so far.
Vinnies Sunshine Coast president Beryl Rowan said the CEO Sleepout was crucial to raise funds and draw attention to the growing number of locals experiencing homelessness and housing stress, especially as the state-wide rental and rising cost-of-living crisis continues to hit hard.
“Here at Vinnies, we speak to locals every day who are sleeping in their cars or tents on the street as rent prices increase while affordable and emergency housing options remain at capacity,” she
said.
In 2022 Vinnies Queensland announced its ambition to build 500 homes in five years. A number of major milestones have been reached to date, including a partnership with the State Government to build 147 social and affordable homes, announced at the 2023 CEO Sleepout.
In the 2023-2024 financial year, Vinnies Queensland provided more than 103,000 nights of accommodation to Queenslanders in need.
For more information, or to register for the 2025 Sleepout, visit ceosleepout.org.au
