New Covenant House Sleep Out Event Raises over $165,000 for Homeless Kids
Toronto, ON (PRWEB) April 16, 2014 -- Some 50 up-and-coming professionals spent the night sleeping outside to raise awareness and more than $165,000 for homeless youth at Covenant House. The group raised more than fifty percent above their $100,000 goal.
Participants in the first-ever Covenant House Sleep Out: Next Generation, equipped with only sleeping bags and pieces of cardboard, huddled in the cool temperatures for a small glimpse into the hardships youth can face on the street.
Among the group were Toronto FC General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko; Lawrence Krimker, a self-made millionaire and CEO of Simply Green Home Services Inc.; and restaurateur Trevor Wilkinson.
“The enthusiasm and commitment of our participants last night was a heartening reminder that a new generation is willing to get behind homeless youth to help them realize their potential,” said Bruce Rivers, Covenant House Executive Director who slept out with the group. “We are most grateful to our participants for helping us grow this event into a movement to help our kids.”
The Covenant House Sleep Out: Next Generation builds on the agency’s hugely successful Executive Sleep Out that has raised more than $1.3 million in the past two years.
As the country’s largest homeless youth agency, Covenant House provides 24/7 crisis shelter along with comprehensive services, including education, counselling, and employment assistance to some 3,000 youth annually. To do all this, the agency relies on donors for 80 percent of its $20-million annual operating budget.
Rose Cino, Covenant House Toronto, http://www.covenanthousetoronto.ca, +1 (416) 204-7081, [email protected]
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